Missionary Renegade: The Henri Nouwen Society of Toronto, Ontario, Canada DAILY MEDITATION with Father Henri J. M. Nouwen "Being Free to Love" for Monday, 29 February 2016

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

The Henri Nouwen Society of Toronto, Ontario, Canada DAILY MEDITATION with Father Henri J. M. Nouwen "Being Free to Love" for Monday, 29 February 2016

Photo courtesy of SDGimagery.com
Jesus came to us to help us overcome our fear of God. As long as we are afraid of God, we cannot love God. Love means intimacy, closeness, mutual vulnerability, and a deep sense of safety. But all of those are impossible as long as there is fear. Fear creates suspicion, distance, defensiveness, and insecurity.
The greatest block in the spiritual life is fear. Prayer, meditation, and education cannot come forth out of fear. God is perfect love, and as John the Evangelist writes, "Perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18). Jesus' central message is that God loves us with an unconditional love and desires our love, free from all fear, in return.

For further reflection...
"Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."[Jude 21 (NIV)]
Your response...
What practices help you experience the unconditional love that Henri describes to cast out fears?

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Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, ©1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible ©1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc. Scripture chosen by L. Yeskoo.
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