DAILY MEDITATION "Reflecting God's perfect love"
Photo courtesy of SDGimagery.comGod's love for us is everlasting. That means that God's love for us existed before we were born and will exist after we have died. It is an eternal love in which we are embraced. Living a spiritual life calls us to claim that eternal love for ourselves so that we can live our temporal loves - for parents, brothers, sisters, teachers, friends, spouses, and all people who become part of our lives - as reflections or refractions of God's eternal love. No fathers or mothers can love their children perfectly. No husbands or wives can love each other with unlimited love. There is no human love that is not broken somewhere.
When our broken love is the only love we can have, we are easily thrown into despair, but when we can live our broken love as a partial reflection of God's perfect, unconditional love, we can forgive one another our limitations and enjoy together the love we have to offer.
For further reflection...
"But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love... Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave them your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst."[Nehemiah 9: 17, 19-20 (NIV)]
Your response...
That which gives us true freedom and true happiness is the compassionate love of Christ.[Pope Francis]
Continue the Inspiration
Purchase your copy of Henri Nouwen's book "The Return of the Prodigal Son".
-------
Visit our Bookstore:
United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Search the Daily Meditations...
You can now search Henri's Daily Meditations by theme. Learn more here...
Consider our monthly giving program to sustain the ability to extend Henri's legacy and make his work available to those who seek spiritual formation and nourishment. Click here to sign up today.
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.
STAY CONNECTED:
Henri Nouwen Society
214 - 95 Saint Joseph Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R9 Canada
-------
Daily Meditation for Friday, 3 March 2017: "God's faithfulness and ours" of The Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DAILY MEDITATION "God's faithfulness and ours"
Photo courtesy of SDGimagery.comWhen God makes a covenant with us, God says: "I will love you with an everlasting love. I will be faithful to you, even when you run away from me, reject me, or betray me." In our society we don't speak much about covenants; we speak about contracts. When we make a contract with a person, we say: "I will fulfill my part as long as you fulfill yours. When you don't live up to your promises, I no longer have to live up to mine." Contracts are often broken because the partners are unwilling or unable to be faithful to their terms.
But God didn't make a contract with us; God made a covenant with us, and God wants our relationships with one another to reflect that covenant. That's why marriage, friendship, life in community are all ways to give visibility to God's faithfulness in our lives together.
For further reflection...
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people."[Hebrews 8: 10-11 (NIV)]
Your response...
Instead of "I think, therefore, I am" or "I shop at WalMart and Macy's, therefore I am" or "I have a job, therefore I am," the model here is "I am loved by God, therefore I am." [Paul Louis Metzger, Connecting Christ]
Continue the Inspiration
Purchase your copy of Henri Nouwen's book "Life of the Beloved".
-------
Visit our Bookstore:
United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Search the Daily Meditations...
You can now search Henri's Daily Meditations by theme. Learn more here...
Consider our monthly giving program to sustain the ability to extend Henri's legacy and make his work available to those who seek spiritual formation and nourishment. Click here to sign up today.
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.
STAY CONNECTED:
Henri Nouwen Society
-------
Daily Meditation for Friday, 3 March 2017: "God's faithfulness and ours" of The Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DAILY MEDITATION "God's faithfulness and ours"
Photo courtesy of SDGimagery.comWhen God makes a covenant with us, God says: "I will love you with an everlasting love. I will be faithful to you, even when you run away from me, reject me, or betray me." In our society we don't speak much about covenants; we speak about contracts. When we make a contract with a person, we say: "I will fulfill my part as long as you fulfill yours. When you don't live up to your promises, I no longer have to live up to mine." Contracts are often broken because the partners are unwilling or unable to be faithful to their terms.
But God didn't make a contract with us; God made a covenant with us, and God wants our relationships with one another to reflect that covenant. That's why marriage, friendship, life in community are all ways to give visibility to God's faithfulness in our lives together.
For further reflection...
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people."[Hebrews 8: 10-11 (NIV)]
Your response...
Instead of "I think, therefore, I am" or "I shop at WalMart and Macy's, therefore I am" or "I have a job, therefore I am," the model here is "I am loved by God, therefore I am." [Paul Louis Metzger, Connecting Christ]
Purchase your copy of Henri Nouwen's book "Life of the Beloved".
-------
Visit our Bookstore:
United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Search the Daily Meditations...
You can now search Henri's Daily Meditations by theme. Learn more here...
Consider our monthly giving program to sustain the ability to extend Henri's legacy and make his work available to those who seek spiritual formation and nourishment. Click here to sign up today.
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.
STAY CONNECTED:
Henri Nouwen Society
214 - 95 Saint Joseph Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R9, Canada
-------
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment