Listen

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.

John 3:16

Think

This verse has a life of its own in many ways and has had nuance stripped away from it by sign-waving sports fans.

Assuming that we have chosen to believe in this Christ who connects us to God, we are now informed from where this connection comes. God says to us, here is how I will lead you, here is how I will teach you, here is how I will walk with you, and here is how I will witness my love for you.

We must be careful not to interpret this verse as some kind of abusive sacrifice of a child by a callous parent, but rather a particular path gifted from God that reveals a relationship between God and humanity if we choose to receive it.

The gift of Christ from God is not only a reminder to us of God’s greatest hope and intention for each of us, eternal life; but that we can now live and move through the world in gratitude for the gift of eternal connection to God, and not in pursuit of it.

Bruce Reyes-Chow

Question to Ponder:

You are connected to God because God loves you. What does it mean to you to have this connection?

Pray

Inhale: God, you are here.

Exhale: Grant me the courage to love generously.

Go

Go forth into the world with justice and compassion in your heart.

Amplify voices of the long silenced.

Name strength in that which has been deemed weak.

Hear one another.

See one another.

Care for one another.

And love one another.

It’s all that easy.

And it’s all that hard.