Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Unconditional Love Series

 

Luke 10:34 “He went to him and bandaged his wounds…..”

 

Helping Those Who Hurt

 

Unconditional love is very difficult for us to grasp.   Most of our relationships are in the bounds of conditions.    My friends, my children, my spouse, my congregation all love me but if I violated the cultural expectations in the way I live my life, then probably the love would be in jeopardy.  

 

I have heard many people say that they love unconditionally.  It may be that their love for someone has not been tested.   Love, when brought to the test, might not be as unconditional as we have thought.   In every relationship there will probably come a time of testing.  On the day my children were born and I first held each one of them I felt complete unconditional love.  Throughout the adolescence of my children my love for them was somewhat tested.   I have always truly loved my children and believe I always will love them.  However there are things they could do as adults that could jeopardize our relationship as an active relationship.    There are things they could do that could make me step back from interaction because the pain would be too great.  

 

I have wondered how I would respond if their lives degenerated because of some action that they did, because of some addiction, or some self-destructive behavior.   I understand tough love and how important that can be in the ultimate healing of people.   I cannot imagine how hard it would be to have to walk away from people that you love because of their choices.   I would imagine that no matter what they did you would always love them and mourn and greatly desire to help them.  

 

I think that’s what God must have faced for our world and why He desired to send Jesus so that people would understand how much He loved them.   God’s unconditional love was so great that he sent his only Son to try and reach a world where people couldn’t understand.    There have been times that hummingbirds have gotten caught on my back porch.  I tried every way to get them out.  Once when Anna Camille was small she said it so well, “Daddy wouldn’t it be great if you could become a hummingbird and show this little hummingbird on our back porch how to get out.”  That is exactly what God did through Christ.  He made himself a man so we could learn the truth about God’s love for us.  

 

Could it be that unconditional love is best experienced in our response to others?   God sent Jesus to provide a means of grace for us as humans.   Christ responds to our places of inadequacy, ignorance, and fear.   Could it be one of the best ways for us to understand unconditional love is through our responses to people?  I have a friend, who, through his behavior, has deeply hurt me.   If, however, he needed me, I would drop everything and respond.   I wonder is unconditional love in part, more than warm and fuzzy feelings, but the response when people need us. 

 

Prayer: Dear God, help me to help others.  Amen.