THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

My Brothers & Sisters



For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 is one of the best-known verses in the Bible, demonstrating God’s love for the world and the promise of eternal life to all who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This verse is the central and most important concept in Christianity. Christianity is the world’s great love religion. The Christian God comes to us as love, in love, for love. This is a universal love embracing all creation, and it is demonstrated in God sending His Son, who gave His life to redeem lost humanity.  This is the ultimate act of love. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” John 15:13.

The context of this verse is a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, where Jesus explains the necessity of being born again. The promise of life eternal is based on belief in Jesus, who in love died for us and invites us into a loving relationship with himself, God, and all humankind. This is the core of our faith as we are called in love and to love. It is said that there is nothing more important in life than learning to love and to be loved. Giving and receiving love is what makes us not only human, but Christian.

David G. Benner, in his book Surrender to Love, states, “Love is the strongest force in the universe. Gravity may hold planets in orbit, and nuclear force may hold the atom together, but only love has the power to transform persons.”

He goes on to state that, “love speaks the language of the soul as it awakens our hunger for relationship and connection.” In this relationship and connection, we are friends with God and each other. As we journey through this Lenten season, may we find the connection with God, the Father, who is love, with Jesus, the Son, the perfect example of love, with the Holy Spirit whose fruit is love, and with our brothers and sisters, whom we are called to love as Jesus loves us.

Lovingly,

Patrick+