It's one thing to know that God loves you by pointing at certain Bible verses. John 3:16, Romans 11:36, Romans 5:6-10, and so on. It's relatively simple to say, Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.
It's something else to feel that love. To know it in your heart, your marrow, the core of your being. It's nothing you can force or manipulate.
Where does love come from? Maybe it's always there, but sometimes just buried beneath layers of stuff -- experiences telling us we're not worthy, feelings of rejection, abuse and violence, fear. Another huge factor for many people is the message they have received that suggests God really loves only a select few. After years f having that pounded into your head and after millennia of collective indoctrination of that message, it is very difficult to think and feel differently.
Yet, I', convinced that ultimately nothing can separate us from the love of God. The reason? God is with us, so love is with us. Gd is love and God is fully integrated with humanity from the least of us to the greatest. We can't escape love because we are love -- formed and fashioned in love. Attempting to express love. Longing to feel and give love.
It may be misplaced often. We may not always see it. However, it is there. We can and we will, eventually, find it becuase we can't get away from who we are.
3 comments:
Kevin, thank you for this beautiful and thoughtful post. I believe Love is always there.
I was not raised in a family that talked about God/Jesus or any spirituality for that matter.
I used to feel like such an outsider - totally separate from the people that knew what God was all about, and I suppose I still feel that way some. That is why I was so attracted to Jim Palmer's Divine Nobodies book.
My journey continues of course, but it seems my lack of preconceived notions of God produced a need for something, an emptiness, longing (like you said). This emptiness perhaps created an opening to being filled by the Holy Spirit, so my own reality of God could be conceived - which is Love in me (all of us) as you so beautifully described above.
I would think people struggling with preconceived or pounded notions would probably be feeling a similar emptiness and longing for something more.
FYI, ultimately, after a long search, I ended up joining a Catholic Church almost 4 years ago at age 45. Baptized, fully immersed, by a most wonderful Catholic priest and pastor. I am the only Catholic in my family..at this point at least :o)
Peace
Keren
If interested, my whole story on this is on the front page of this site, under "Inside out stories"
but it seemed to fit here.
Thanks Kevin. I wholeheartedly agree. I wish it was easier to learn.
Ditto. :)
God is love, love is God?
Often I drive through low lying fog in the morning. It is beautiful. It seems like it is a picture of God and His love - around everything, touching everything.
Thanks Kevin!
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