"What. Is. Love?"
I had a student leader text me on this subject, and this is what was said:
"Always and Unconditionally."
Three words thrown around casually and often. Usually without any thought to what the bookend words REALLY entail or the weight of their meaning.
Today, these words became profound.
I have to say, first off, I am proud of my leader for this response. I am honored to know that this is becoming the DNA of the Re:Wired College Ministry. Not only was that a first response, but those words transfer to actions. I have had the privilege of watching this statement in motion by our leaders. How amazing that is!
Now I realize that this can become a formula many times for cheap grace. It can smack of "anything goes" mentality and we watch human nature become reduced to animal-like instincts. But if you were really to employ this strategy to the heart and truth of what it really means, it has massive reaching effects.
It may also be hardest thing you have ever had to do.
I came across a quote from Dorothy Day on my 900th time reading The Irresistible Revolution here (I didn't bring a whole lot of books with me..) that I thought could be relevant to the discussion:
ReplyDelete["Love is a harsh and dreadful thing to ask of us...but it is the only answer." This love is not sentimental, but heart-wrenching, the most difficult and the most beautiful thing in the world. (Claiborne 136)]
Also from the same section:
[Mother Theresa: "Following Jesus is simple, but not easy. Love until it hurts, and then love more."]
I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has ever wondered if life is about choosing between the safe & secure, or love (and all the pain that comes along with it). However, it certainly doesn't make the decision any easier.
When we were younger, we were reckless for the most part. We took action without giving much thought for consequences and risks. That's why we ate paste, stuck things in electrical sockets, burned things, made horribly inadequate bike ramps and jumped them going full speed, all of that. And there were plenty of times when we got sick/got shocked/got burned/wiped out. As long as nothing serious happened, we just took it in stride. Another lesson learned. But after so many lessons, both physical and emotional, do any of us find ourselves wondering how much of that reckless child is left in us?
Now please understand, I'm certainly not saying that we should not learn lessons from our (or others') mistakes. Adults usually don't go around still tying paper clips to small Lego men with string to see if they can "plug it in" and make it walk on its own (ask me later..). Lessons are important, and most of them are there to teach us how to avoid unnecessary harm. Not sure if I'm the only one to feel this way, though, but more and more often I find myself feeling like the kid who got scared after looking down from the highest diving board. After climbing down, I've reserved myself to the safety of the wall, settling with watching the other kids jump off, hooting and shouting all the way down, and having fun vicariously through them. That doesn't really sound like a life that's been set free to pursue the great adventure God has set out for each of us.
Sorry, I feel like I'm cutting this response short, but I have to head out to teach now. I'll be sure to check back later ;-)