Wouldn’t it be interesting if parrots like me conducted surveys? I’d love to line up a random group of humans and ask them all this question: ‘What is the most powerful thing here on Earth?’
If there was a scientist in the group, they’d probably reply ‘Strong Nuclear Force’ or ‘Gamma-Ray bursts.’ Any bankers or entrepreneurs may well answer ‘money.’ A philosopher might say ‘intelligence.’ A Ukrainian would probably refer to their countrymen’s resolve, while President Putin would nonchalantly gesture towards his assembled army and stockpile of nuclear warheads. And then there might also be a diminutive old lady on her way to church who would simply utter the word ‘love.’ Of course, the others in the line may well laugh at her, because she’s weak and frail and elderly. What could she know about the modern world? And my simple answer to that is ‘everything!’ Because you under-estimate God’s love at your peril.
You see, God’s love transcends the physical because it’s of a spiritual nature. So that makes it more powerful than anything known to human science. A contemporary of Jesus realised this more than 2000 years ago:
“Love in its essence is spiritual fire.”
(Lucius Annaeus Seneca: c.4BC-AD65: Philosopher in Ancient Rome).
Both money and human intelligence are finite but true Christian love is both immeasurable and infinite. Human resolve can be an extraordinary thing, but love can achieve the impossible. Humanity has always been on a path of self-destruction, and yet the love of God and Jesus has saved us. And while armies and weaponry can seem very intimidating, the love of God and Jesus have even conquered death. What tyrants or armies or warheads could ever do that?
God’s love is quite simply the bridge between us and Him. He and Jesus are the very essence of love, and it’s only when we come to realise this that God and Jesus can work through us so that we help to radiate their love out to the world around us. My owner has several friends who are brim-full of Christian love. There’s something about them which sets them apart from the purely physical, and you can certainly sense God’s presence inside them. If the rest of the world could only be like them, it would be transformed overnight. It’s our responsibility to allow the love of God and Jesus to spread around the world, beginning with those whom we like least. Because ultimately, God’s love will prevail; it may not seem like it when we listen to the human news or read the papers. But in the end, all will be well because of His love…
“…but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.”
(1 Corinthians 13:10).
“No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
(1 John: 4:12).
“As Christians trying to emulate Jesus, we must first feel and embrace God’s love, and then having found it and absorbed it, we must launch it out into the world around us. We must seek the very best for everybody else, whether we know them or not, and irrespective of whether we believe they deserve it. Because this is the very essence of Christian love.”
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