God seeks relationship with you…
From the beginning of time, God’s desire has been for relationship with God’s people. The prophet Isaiah speaks to all of the ways God reaches out to establish that bond, to create connection: God promises water to the thirsty, grain to those who have none, and life to all who listen, to all who heed God’s word. The dynamic is ongoing and eternal – God wishes to bring God’s promises to fulfillment in this moment now and in the fullness of time, by feeding God’s people not just with physical sustenance but also, and especially, with food that nourishes the soul, meeting humankind’s spiritual needs in all possible ways. And so God is faithful to covenant. Psalm 145 reminds us that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness – all covenant language. And God gives us our food in due season, satisfying the desire of every living thing. Following ancient rules of hospitality, God desires to provide all that we need; we have but to call upon God in truth.
God’s desire for relationship is ultimately sealed by God’s Son Jesus. In Matthew’s story of the loaves and fishes, Jesus wants to go off to a deserted place by himself, but, seeing the crowds, his heart is moved with pity for them. Not only does he feed their bodies, he also finds their need, their living need, and heals them, thereby teaching them the nature of God’s great love for them. Jesus enters into relationship with all of these people, even with those who are not ready for it; there are no barriers where Jesus is concerned – not even, as Paul tells the Romans, anguish or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or the sword. Suffering is not meant to be an obstacle to our faith; the pain we might experience because of our relationship with God unites us more deeply in relationship with God. Paul’s question, What will separate us from the love of Christ? has no tangible answer, for ultimately, nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, a love that, at its very core, seeks relationship with all.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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