麻豆社

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Julia Loveless

Good morning.

I have been reading the Desiderata by Max Erhman. At one point he implores his readers; 鈥淏e yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.鈥� In the whole of Ehrman鈥檚 piece, it is hard not see the reflection of Jesus in his writing. Jesus is a God of love. In fact, the bible makes every claim that Jesus is in fact God - and God Himself is love. He doesn鈥檛 just show the attribute of love; in fact, love is a person; the person of Jesus.

When the Desiderata talks about the constancy and tenacity of love, I remember verses like 鈥減erfect love casts out fear.鈥� Love grows in - and even fights away - the environments of paranoia, terror, dread and distress. You could replace the description of this perennial love in Ehrman鈥檚 piece with 1 Corinthians 13 - 鈥渓ove is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.鈥� God; you are love and the way Jesus showed us is a way of love. Show me how to trust love more and how to cultivate its perennial, tenacious shoots in my life.

Amen.