I have just started reading a book I received for Christmas
from my lovely uncle and aunt, called, “Love Story” by Nichole Nordeman. I have
only read the first chapter (on Creation), but she expressed so well some of
the questions that I often ask myself, that I am looking forward to reading
more, and understanding more of the depth and breadth of God’s love for us. Shortly
after reading this chapter, I listened to a Christmas sermon that focused on
the death of Christ. As I held together in my head Creation and Crucifixion, I
wondered, “Why?” Why would God create a world that He knew would lead to the
cross? Where is love in such an act?
But then it was as if I could overhear a conversation that took
place in heaven before the beginning of time, as God and His Son talked
together about their plan to make the world. As they got excited about making a
beautiful Earth, filling it with life, making people in their image that they
would be able to interact with and enjoy being with, delighting in loving them
and receiving their love, God said, “But you know what this will involve, don’t
you?” And Jesus said, “Yes, I know.” It didn’t need to be put into words. They
knew that if they made people in their image, with the potential to love in
great measure and with the ability to make choices, that some would choose not
to love. That some would not choose God and His Son, but would instead look for
their own ways to love and enjoy life. And those choices only lead to death.
And ultimately those choices would lead to the death of God’s Son. Because His
love wouldn’t stop when human love did. His love would mean that He would die Himself,
rather than give up on us. He created us with potential, He created us in His
image, and His love means that He will not abandon that potential, but rather
die Himself to bring about new life, eternal life, greater potential. Renewed
hope.
And so God said, “You know what this will involve, don’t
you?” And Jesus said, “Yes, I know.” He did not back out when He acknowledged
the cost. The cross. Instead He said, “Let there be…” And there was. And we
came into existence. And when the time came to pay the price of love, He became
like one of us, like those He created. Yet perfect. He fulfilled His potential
and loved unselfishly. He loved us to the point of dying for us, in that most
terrible event and yet that most wonderful display of love, at the cross. So
yes, it is love, that God should make this world, while knowing that we would
destroy it. It is love, that God would make us to know Him, while knowing that
we would choose not to. It is love that God would pour out His love, while
knowing that He would be unloved. It is love that God would create life and
beauty, while knowing that He himself would have to die an ugly death. It is
love. And we can choose to love Him back and enjoy Him and delight in and thank
Him for all the potential He gave us to be like Him and be loved by Him. Or we
can choose not to. But oh what a sad choice that would be, to choose not to
love our Maker and be loved eternally by His unselfish love.
It is love
When you
consider freedom together with fighting,
When you
consider life together with loss,
When you
consider joy together with judgement,
When you
consider creation together with the cross,
I wonder,
“Why?”
I wonder why
our God made the universe,
I wonder why
he put life on the earth,
I wonder why
he created humanity,
I wonder why
he made us of worth.
I question
love.
Is it love
that makes what will be destroyed?
Is it love
that forms relationships that will break?
Is it love
that breathes life to what will die?
Is it love
that gives, only to take?
It is love.
It is love,
that led God to agree
With His
son, before time began,
That though
love would not be returned,
They’d still
go ahead with their plan.
It is love.
It is love
that made man in God’s image,
It is love
that said, “Come and love me”,
It is love
that allowed us to choose,
It is love
that took God to the tree.
It is love.
It is love
that though we made choices
That
destroyed the potential God gave
He never
stopped loving and giving
When giving
led Him to the grave.
It is love.
