Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinner tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night .-- Ps 1:1-2
We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn't approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God's love. Evil does not belong to God.
God's unconditional love means that God continues to love us even when we say or think evil things. God continues to wait for us as a loving parent waits fo the return of a lost child. It is important for us to hold on to the truth that God never gives up loving us even when God is saddened by what we do. That truth will help us return to God's ever-present love.
O God, when I am most tempted to give up on myself, help me to remember that you never give up on me.
Called to Life, Called to Love Lenten reflections from the works of Henri J.M. Nouwen
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