LOVE Lent 2
Scripture
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
1 John 4.7-21
Reflection
There is so much we could reflect on in this passage. Yes, it comes from a context where the early Christian community is working on it's boundaries of faith, so sees the expression of God's love in Jesus Christ as an exclusive way to know God - but at the same time it has one of the most expansive statements in our Scriptures.
God is love.
Not God is loving. Not God is like a loving person/parent/companion. Not that God shows love.
God is love. It is the very nature of God's being. God is made of love.
May that be our meditation for today. And our hope - that we know more of the one whose very substance is love.
Prayer
We love you
because you first loved us
because you knit us together, just as we are
because you gave us the care of this awe-inspiring world
because you keep your arms open to us, no matter what we do
because you look for us when we get lost
because you subjected your son to earthly powers so that we could better understand your ways
because you enliven us with your bold and beautiful spirit
because you invite us to join you in making things on earth as they are in heaven
because you prepare an eternal home for us in the presence of your peace
You give us so many reasons to love you
We don’t always do it so well
We don’t always pay it forward to others
Help us to love bigger
and to be made more like you by loving and being loved
You are not just the unending source of love
You are love itself
And we come before you astounded and grateful
Amen