Lectio:
“To love is a more perfect act than to understand.”
— John Duns Scotus, Reportatio Parisiensis I, dist. 17, q. unica
Meditatio:
As we draw closer to God and deeper into His divine, enfolded love unfolding in, as, and through our lives, our grip slowly loosens. Through this unfolding experience of divine grace, mercy, and faithfulness, we begin to realize that He is trustworthy — that He is not merely the unmoved first mover of creation, but that He is constantly moving in, through, and as our lives, and that He will provide whatever it is we need, from one moment to the next, in His way and in His time (Matthew 6:8).
And so we begin to relax — not in the sense that we are idle or inactive, but that, in our lives, our beliefs, and our actions, a subtle sense emerges: a sense that we are truly not alone, that we are being held by God (Isaiah 41:10), and that we need not struggle so hard. We need not cling to our hopes, dreams, or fears so tightly. Nor must we understand all that is or is not happening, because whatever is or is not happening is unfolding in, as, and through God (Romans 8:28).
As this trust deepens, as the reality of God’s love unfolds in and through us — and takes shape as our lives — we come to realize that not only is God love (1 John 4:8), but that we, too, are the emergence and unfolding of love — in, for, and with God, and also with and for others. Like a divine love poem being written in and as our lives, we begin to witness the words emerging, the page unfolding beneath them.
And as this love poem unfolds, it may contain heartbreak, tragedy, and loss — all manner of things we do not understand. Yet we sense that these are not the final lines. The story is still unfolding, and it will not cease until it reaches its completion. This divine love poem that is our life does not end in suffering, confusion, and death, but in life abundant (John 10:10), love overflowing, and union everlasting.
Oratio:
Move me to love, Lord.
Move me through love.
As tears fill my eyes
and chills run through me —
my arm hairs standing at attention —
I am overcome.
I am overwhelmed.
Shaken loose
from the stuckness
that kept me trapped
in patterns of suffering —
both caused
and received.
All it took
was a word —
a single turn of phrase,
a truth beyond truths,
a love beyond loves —
to move me
to love
to move me
through love.
Contemplatio:
How is God’s love inviting you to loosen your grip and deepen your trust today?
Related Scripture:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13
For Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Why the Word Became Flesh: Divine Love Dwelling with Creation
~Robert Van Valkenburgh
Grappling With Divinity.
Wrestling With Wrestling.
Returning To Love.
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