God’s Love is Beyond Our Measure

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” From Romans 8:26-39

I was able to spend two weeks at the end of June at Green Bough House of Prayer. It is my spiritual home, and extended time there renews me in ways few other places do. I love the rhythm of life there, especially prayer that gathers the community throughout the day. We have communion most days, and one of my favorite hymns we sing is entitled "Your Love, O God."

The first verse is:

Your love, O God, is broad like beach and meadow,

wide as the wind, and an eternal home.

You leave us free to seek you or reject you,

You give us room to answer 'yes' or 'no'.

I always think this imagery is appropriate for the summer, as many of us travel far and wide from home. But also contained within this imagery is an invitation for us to consider our own receptivity to God's call on our lives. God's love is available to us in every moment. But our God also longs for us to respond to what is being offered. Our God will not coerce us into relationship but eagerly awaits our awareness and answer. Love exists best when it is freely given and received.

There is so much in the world to discourage us. Natural disasters like the terrible flooding from last week — echoing the floods of a year ago — cause us to pause and wonder. Violence and war across the world can make us focus on that which is anything but comforting. Economic strain and uncertainty can cause fear to enter our hearts. We add to those global concerns the real struggles of our own families and other communities, often weighed down with illness and grief.

I take so much comfort from the experience of the early church, which was not founded in the absence of these concerns, but rather right in the center of them.

St. Paul knew persecution, oppression and real discouragement. Despite that reality, he was able to pen these strong words of encouragement in his letter to the Romans. Our faith is grounded in that which we cannot see and yet still believe is possible. That is the essence of Christian hope, and it cannot be separated from God's nature as love itself. To know God's love gives us courage and resilience to choose hope and love in the face of despondency and hate. When we do this in community, our bonds are even stronger.

So wherever you find yourself this summer, take a pause and be reminded of God's love. You might glimpse it in the beauty of our natural world or in the kindness of strangers. When we intentionally set out to see it, the breadth and depth of it are truly transcendent.

Peace, Beth +