I went to the movies yesterday for the first time in years. I saw “Jesus Revolution” that took me back to my young adult years in Los Angeles. I saw familiar coastline, familiar soul searching, and the familiar response that touched my heart so deeply back then. The Supremes made a Motown hit “Love Child” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jYpqdbqXzQ) that we all sang in the 60s. Today we easily talk about a “love child” as the product of a love connection but not necessarily marriage, a child with one parent.
The Pharisees similarly were seeking and trying to trap Jesus about love so asked him what the greatest commandment was. Jesus responded,
37 He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’
Perhaps Christians are “love children” not because of drugs but because we acknowledge one parent – whether we call that parent Father God or Mother God for those to whom the father image brings horrible memories of abuse. We know that God loved us enough to make the Lenten Journey to the cross to pay for our selfishness. Love is not about expanding our minds to new horizons, love without responsibility, nor finding freedom from the law but realizing that our God loved us so much he fulfilled the law and so we are free from guilt and shame, free to be the child he created us to be. He does not conceive us and then leave.
I came home last night to find a letter from IRS saying I did not fill out income tax correctly two years ago! Thank goodness God is not like government but covers our mistakes with real love! I enjoyed the movie and the reminder of a phase in my journey to find a parent who would never forsake me. Blessings on your journey!
On the Way to Wonder 