The Love Of God

A Mural in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem

'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' John 3:16

Christians understand the love of God as that love that compels the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our salvation. While this atoning love of Christ's sacrifice is indeed the greatest love of all, many Christians have a very narrow, almost self-serving understanding of God's love; the love of God is all about us and our salvation. But God's love is far more than just for our salvation. It is timely for us to understand how deep and how wide, how ubiquitous and permeating the Love of God is not only to us but for the whole world.  

Allow me to share with you a remarkably tender video. This past week, my grandchildren were down with Covid. The eldest, James came down with Covid-19 and he kept himself to his bedroom, resting all day. Now the family has two pet cats who are lovingly close to the family, especially with our three grandchildren, James, Eleanor and Luke. The cats seem to know that the children are sick. Auri, one of cats, went to my daughter, meowed and then led her to James' bedroom beckoning her to open the door. She then got on to his bed and started comforting him.

What do you think of it? My first thought was that of reciprocal love. Pets are capable of empathy and often return the love and care expressed to them. Pets are especially sensitive and endearing towards their caring owners. Love and care received translate to love and care returned.

Another lingering thought is that this gesture by animals show the love of God expressed in all creation. So like all of God's creatures, humans are also capable of expressing God's love in the most loving and tender-hearted manner. Unfortunately. it is most tragic that sin prevents some of us from expressing that innate love of God.

The Psalmist extolled the Love of God manifested in all creation; inanimate and animate, physical and biological Nature

'Your unfailing love, O Lord, is a vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is Your unfailing love, O God. All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings. ' Psalms 36:5-7

O the depths and the ramifications of God's love. Thus, to see this love only from the perspective of salvation, however important it may be, is to miss this love altogether. We need to unpeel the camouflage that Satan and sin imposes on this love. We need to realise that The Love of God Is Greater Far than we can ever conceive.

The love of God is greater far

  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.

It goes beyond the highest star

  And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

  God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled

  And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!

  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song

When hoary time shall pass away,

  And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;

When men who here refuse to pray,

  On rocks and hills and mountains call;

God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,

  All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—

  The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

This love is anchored in us and St Paul boldly said that nothing can separate us from God's love.  

'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 8:38-39 

We have come in full circle, the Love of God seen externally and beyond us eventually leads to the Love of God felt within us; leading to our full salvation

'Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should how wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.' Ephesians 3:17-19 (NLT)

Lionel