LOVE Lent 34

Scripture

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

1 John 3.1,2

Reflection

This snippet from John's first letter is one of the most memorable pieces of Scripture for me, having grown up with a slightly different translation from the restrained version above - instead of 'See what love the Father has given us" we had the more effusive 'See what love the Father has LAVISHED on us" - that sense of generous, excessive, exuberant love resonated, and still resonates, deep within me as I remember the powerful sense of being known and loved by God. 

We are told in Scripture to consider others, to love our neigbours, even our enemies - but that kind of love is only possible when we have a strong sense of our worth, our value, our belovedness. God's love for us, says this verse, is based in that sense of being loved, of belonging to God's Divine family, of being wanted. This verse reminds us that it is not because of what we have done that we are loved, but just because of who we are, however imperfect or unworthy we may feel. God loves us as a dedicated parent loves their child. We are invited to know ourselves loved and to be a part of God's family of love. 

We are invited as this passage goes on to live out love in the way we love our siblings, but it begins, it is grounded in, it rests in, our own sense of being loved, accepted, graced, and embraced.

Prayer

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely God will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
She will cover you with her feathers,
and under God's wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalm 91.2-5