God's first and only instinct is to love us

Modern Pieta by American Conrad Albrizio, who died in 1973

God’s first and only instinct is to love us and for us to experience that love. We have been made by Him and for Him. He made us to enjoy His love and His life for ever.

What about sin? Judgment does not come from God but rather from our own choice. It is not God who dumps us; it is we who abandon Him.

It is not God’s judgment that we are to fear. Rather it is our own choices because they can bring us closer to Him or push us away from Him. It is our own choice to live in integrity and wholeness or not.

But it is the living in a world of love that is most important. The Father gives us His Son (John 3:16) and the Son gives us the Spirit, allowing us to share in their community of love. We become a new creation so that we know the inner peace and radiant joy of the new life lived in the power and love of the risen Jesus. (Easter is still fresh in mind and heart, giving rise to this reflection.)

Iraneus in the second century left us with this insight: “The glory of God is the human being fully alive”. The excitement of looking to serve God, to enter into a personal relationship with the God who somehow created everything that is essential in our lives, allows us to avoid being dazzled by the world’s accomplishments, instead seeing that there are more important elements of the human experience.

Everything in life falls into harmonious place when we align our lives to the God-given order, which allows us to work with grace in creating a better version of ourselves. Paul saw that in part the process entailed this: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things” (Letter to the Philippians 4:8).

Truth. “Whatever is true” — in the absolute sense — is the key! “The truth will make you free” (John 8:31), and that is the whole point of what has been passed down to us by those who have had to withstand times of martyrdom and persecution to do so: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). The joy comes through being on the right path — “I am the Way” — for human thriving.

Peace can be found in this life, even when difficulties threaten to overwhelm us. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

A peaceful heart and mind germinate from two gifts of God: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

When we believe deeply that God is God, and I’m not, we can willingly enter into the relationship that God offers us with tremendous love and supreme mercy.

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