Love of God

There is a “Peanuts” comic strip in which Linus very candidly admits to his good pal Charlie Brown, “I don‟t like to face problems head on. I think the best way to solve problems is to avoid them. In fact, this is a distinct philosophy of mine. No problem is so big or so complicated that it can‟t be run away from!”
Perhaps the most complicated problems that we face today are the very ones we are most likely to run away from! I am talking about the problems that have to do with such questions as: “Can I find acceptance?” “Can I fill the emptiness in my soul?” “Will I ever discover who I really am?”
These kinds of issues touch us at the very core of our being, and they deserve our utmost attention. When we fail to address them, we complicate our lives more and more. Unfortunately, when it comes to tackling life's biggest problems, it seems that the “solution” of choice these days is to try to avoid them altogether!
In many ways, this weekend‟s Gospel is all about this very point. It includes what some have called the best-loved passage in Scripture: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.” Throughout John‟s Gospel, we find that the “eternal life” which Jesus gives is illustrated in beautiful word pictures. It is light to those who walk in darkness; bread to those who hunger; water to those who thirst!
So what is God‟s good intention for you? Simply this – that you look squarely into the eyes of his Son, and realize how much he loves you! That you allow him to touch you, forgive you, embrace you, and change you! That you let him redirect your steps and teach you to love and forgive others the way he loves and forgives you! That you let him fashion you into a beautiful work of his grace! That is indeed the person he wants you to be!
Thank God it is not by our own efforts that we can begin to live the life of the Kingdom. God reaches in to pluck us out of our sin and fills us with his grace so that we are transformed. All we need to do is accept it and allow ourselves to change! Giving ourselves up to the love of God is a frightening process. But if we can only let go of our fears and trust him, then we will not be disappointed!