Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ~ 1 Peter 4:8 Lately I seemed to have encountered a number of people attempting to justify how a couple could love one another, as if there is some way to justify why someone loves another person.
It starts to make a person wonder how it is that we can begin to justify the unconditional love of God when all we seem to see is violence, fear, abuse, and various forms of hatred. I don't know about you, but it certainly doesn't help someone who is struggling to understand the love of God when just the opposite seems to be the examples of God's love in the world. I am reminded that even those who have experienced the worst examples of these expressions, still have the ability to love and to be loved in return. I once had a woman share with me that her husband was "incapable of love," and when I asked why she then stayed with him, she shared, "because I love him." Perhaps that within itself poses a problem of its own, but the funny thing about love, is that it is a "funny thing." Even while she shared of the things he had done, or failed to do, instead of turning herself into a victim, I discovered that she was becoming empowered by the love she held for him, to try and make a difference. We are called to love one another as God has loved us. For each of us, that love is personal. By choosing to love others, we become the example of human resilency, and how God is able to make God's presence known. For those people who choose to love, even when there is fear or hatred, even in ways that may seem very small, they are inviting the presence of God to transcend and offer real hope to the world. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2018 Comments are closed.
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AuthorRev. G. Todd Williams is the author of the book, "Remember Me When..." and is a former hospice chaplain and pastor. Archives
February 2024
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