In this country you must never show a feather. Give up to them once and you’re beaten.”
–Elmer Kelton (Eyes of the Hawk)
“Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
–Amos 5:14-15 (NKJV)
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I can remember a few years back when I was walking down the hallway of the school where I taught. Approaching me was a parent, who, when he passed said, “Love you brother.” He continued on, but only took a couple more steps then turned. Did he really love me? Was he just saying what he knew he was supposed to say? Just like when you ask someone how they are, and they mutter “Oh, I’m blessed, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh,” in a mimsical way. As he walked down the hall I thought that he doesn’t even know my name.
Another incident, another school. In one of the classes I asked the question “do you love me?” The yeses came pouring forth. I stood in front of a student and asked, “Do you really love me?” and was assured me that she did, so I continued. “Die for me?” She began to hesitate, “remember I’m 60, you’re just 17. I’ve lived a full life, and you’re just getting started. Still die for me?” Now came the hesitation and finally she blurted, “No, I don’t think I could.”
Part of the reason we are that way is the fact that we really understand little of what love is, or who God is for that matter. We are conditioned by family, peers, and that monster–the media. The media, that which is supposed to be a faithful companion to man is nothing more than a lie-spewing machine. Let me give you something from D.L. Moody:
“We give Columbus credit for discovering America. His discovery was momentous, yet he never set foot in either continent. He discovered America, but he had no idea of the vastness of the continent. He didn’t know of the Great Lakes or the Rocky Mountains or for that matter the Amazon rainforest. This is like God’s love. When a person finally discovers God’s love it is like Columbus discovering the New World.”
“I believe the reason why a great many people think God does not love them is because they are measuring God by their own small rule, from the own standpoint. We love men as long as we consider them worthy of our love; when they are not we cast them off. It is not so with God. There is a vast difference between human love and Divine love… Many of us think we know something of God’s love; but centuries hence we shall admit we have never found out much about it… When we wish to know the love of God we should go to Calvary. Can we look upon that scene, and say God did not love us? That cross speaks of the love of God. Greater love never has been taught than that which the cross teaches. What prompted God to give up Christ?–what prompted Christ to die?–if it were not love?”
We only have an inkling of God’s love.
“…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with the fullness of God.”
–Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV)