ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 13, 2024
Each Sunday in Advent, we are exploring a slightly different take on the idea of: For God so loved the world… In my study, I’ve come to realize that there’s no single, universal way to interpret those words. Sometimes, people perceive “the world” as an abstract, with little or no direct relation to their daily experiences. It is beautiful that God so loves this world, but how exactly does it connect to me? That’s the underlying question that many people are left asking. At the same time, I believe it is dangerous to make it some sort of exclusive “me and God” kind of thing. Yes, I want people to feel loved and embraced by God on a very personal level, but when such a relationship is private and insulated, we begin to lose sight of the rest of the world that God not only loves but seems to want us to love as well. We live in a culture that seems to want it one way or the other, but like a lot of things in the area of spirituality, it is necessary to see things on many different levels and from many different perspectives. I can’t say for sure, but I feel pretty comfortable in saying that God is able to hold everything together in the fullness of divine love, and no individual, community, nation, or any other subset of creation is left out or loved less.
Assist me, Amazing God, in expanding my capacity to see the depth and complexity of your love. It is not focused on one category more than another; not diminishing its capacity for an individual when it is extended the whole. What an awe-inspiring gift. Amen.
