“Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the
day of salvation.” – 2 Cor 6:2
“Return to me with your whole heart.”– Joel 2:12
The more deeply we
love, the more we long to be with those we love. God is similar, except
infinitely more so. God’s love for us does not depend on our looks,
intelligence, performance, success, popularity, or faithfulness. God does not
love us more if we make good choices, get better, or even come back to God.
Yet, the more we embrace ourselves as loved without condition, the more we will
grow and become transformed.
God invites us
through the Lenten journey to make greater space in our hearts and lives so
that the unconditional love of God that is already offered can take greater
root and bear lasting fruit. The disciplines of fasting (from what does not
give life or promote justice), almsgiving (sharing our time, care, and
resources), and prayer (attentiveness to God) are invitations to set apart time
and space so that we can come to realize more deeply God’s longing for us and
to discover greater God’s dream for our lives. We are invited to enter the
desert of our inner landscape to acknowledge any area of unfreedom and allow
God’s merciful love to transform us.
Lent is this
acceptable time, the season that we embrace God’s longing to come closer. God beckons
and waits for us to make room, to embrace ourselves as loved beyond our wildest
imaginings and treat others likewise. Let us enter this Lenten time of
spiritual renewal with generosity and desire for meaningful transformation.
How will you respond to this longing of God, this invitation
to embrace love more deeply?
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