Perfect love casts out fear.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Perfect love—
Perfect love—
Perfect love—
JUST SHOVES FEAR COMPLETELY OUT OF THE PICTURE!—
But—
But—
BUT—
When fear drives our lives—
When fear directs our choices—
When fear dictates our decisions—
PERFECT FEAR DRIVES OUT LOVE!
God is Love.
God is Love.
God is Love.
God is Love.
GOD … IS … LOVE!
Do we believe that?
Are we serious?
Or, when we say—
“GOD IS LOVE”
—is that just some sentimental metaphor?
Something we say
to make ourselves feel all warm and fuzzy?
“GOD IS LOVE”
Do we believe that?
Are we serious?
If—
“GOD IS LOVE”
—is just a metaphor,
is just a poetic lie we tell ourselves
to trick ourselves into feeling good about God—
then it’s easy to close our eyes
when someone whose theology is wrong
tries to trick us by pretending to love.
If—
“GOD IS LOVE”
—is just wordplay,
then it’s easy to turn away
when we glimpse a nurturing love
in the lives of those we don’t like,
those who scare us.
It’s easier to tell ourselves
that God is not there
(even though we also tell ourselves
that God is everywhere).
But—
“GOD IS LOVE.”
And if we take these words seriously,
if we choose to believe
that they mean exactly what they say—
Then, Oh, what a JOY this life becomes!
What a freeing and wondrous responsibility they give us!
If—
“GOD IS LOVE”
—how much less alone we are!
If—
“GOD IS LOVE”
—by what a glorious multiplication is our family increased!
If God is truly love, then—
Every time anyone soothes a frightened child,
God is there.
Every time anyone feeds the hungry,
God is there.
Every time anyone cleans the sickness off someone else,
God is there.
Every time someone defends the rights and dignity of another,
God is there.
God is there—
There in the giving of one’s self for another.
There in the caring for the weak and the disregarded.
There in the mere holding of someone who aches with the need to be held.
There in those actions of love.
God … is … there.
God is there, because—
God … is … love.
God is love.
God is the action of love.
God is the very act of the loving.
We are the arms with which God embraces the world.
We are the lips with which God kisses Creation.
Fear will try to scare us into fearing the world,
But Love will continue to sneak into our lives.
And if we let Love do that,
Fear will not stand a chance, because—
Perfect … Love … Casts … Out … Fear.
.
© John Arthur Horner, 2011
