Saturday, May 11, 2019

Awakening to love (Hans Urs von Balthasar)


   After a mother has smiled at her child for many days and weeks, she finally receives her child’s smile in response.  She has awakened love in the heart of her child, and as the child awakens to love, it also awakens to knowledge:  the initially empty-sense impressions gather meaningfully around the core of the Thou.  Knowledge… comes into play, because the play of love has already begun beforehand, initiated by the mother, the transcendent.  God interprets himself to man as love in the same way:  he radiates love, which kindles the light of love in the heart of man, and it is precisely this light that allows man to perceive this, the absolute Love:  For it is the God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:6).
--Hans Urs von Balthasar, 
Love Alone is Credible


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