I had the pleasure of speaking at a small church community a few Sundays ago and this time together has continued to inspire me. I spoke about God’s incredible love and how it’s not as simple and easy to understand as we might expect. There’s lots to say about how deep, how free and how unrelenting God’s love is. But when it comes to speak or write about God’s love, it’s hard to express with the wonder it deserves.
The only right way to communicate, and encourage others to lean into God’s great love, is to use words that have spoken to so many for the last twenty centuries:
God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life… the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends… Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other… God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us… there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord… Love does no wrong to anyone. That’s why it fully satisfies all of God’s requirements. It is the only law you need… Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity.
(John 3:16, John 15:13, 13:34-35 Romans 5:5, 8:39 and 13:10 Colossians 3:14)
As you try to understand this love, I would encourage you to follow Jesus’ advice in all the situations that you find yourself in this week:
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is exactly like it: ‘You must love your neighbour as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)
Peter Chase
College Chaplain • Pastoral Care
