There’s a beautiful song out right now called What Love Really Means by J J Heller. It tells the poignant, heart rending story of three broken people crying out to God. Each pleads in the refrain; Who will love me for me? Not for what I have done or what I’ll become. Who will love me for me? Nobody has shown me what love really means. I think all of us have been somewhere at some time in our lives where we were convinced that no one could love us, not even God. That we had done something that God could not forgive. That we had placed ourselves beyond the reach of God’s love. The Good News is that this is not true. There is no place beyond God’s reach. There is no corner so dark that the light of God cannot shine there. There is no sin that God can’t forgive. Confession is a painful thing. Having to admit we’ve screwed up or done something wrong. I mean, it’s not like God doesn’t already know, so what’s the point? Isaiah understands the point. I love the images in Isaiah. Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow. Sin is like dirt, filth and slime. It covers me and, on my own, I just cannot seem to get it off of me. I have this mental picture of God holding a fire hose. When I say I’m sorry to God, I had better be ready, because the sin is going to vanish in the blink of an eye. Things are going to change. By the by, the song has a joyful ending where God declares His love for each of us. I will love you for you. Not for what you have done or what you’ll become. I will love you for you. In this season of Lent, here’s something to think about. If God didn’t love you, why did Jesus come to earth? My prayer is for all of us to have a fruitful Lenten season where our relationship with God grows and deepens. Where we recognize just how much God really loves us. |