October 23rd 2011

During the past month, I have from time to time, dwelled on the fact that we can never completely comprehend everything about God. That is because I want to help those who, in trying to understand him, become frustrated or just give up. Perhaps it is time to think about the things we do understand or experience. A great deal of our understanding comes from experiencing.

In the first Epistle of St. John the fourth chapter and the end of verse sixteen, we read: God is love. Not God is loving, or God loves us but God is love. That is his very essence. That is who he is. Read that whole wonderful chapter 1 John 4. It tells us that God sent his son as a saviour of the world (Verse 14). Also he has sent us his spirit (Verse 13).

I am going to suggest that you find a moment to sit quietly and remember the moments when you experienced God. Was it a time of great joy? You may also remember him in a time of sorrow. Were you with others or alone? Did you feel God’s presence when you nurtured someone? When you were striving to do his will in thought and word and deed? Perhaps as we experience him in our lives, we understand him more with our minds? Let us never neglect either aspect but go forward in faith looking onto him, growing in his love.

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one

another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God

lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we

abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son

as the Saviour of the world.

1 John 4: 11-14 NRSV