Lavished with love

My epitaph as a parent might well read, ‘He tried really hard!’ and I suspect that I would be quite happy with that. I can’t claim to have always done my best, but I have certainly tried. As I have pointed out previously – there is nothing greater you can do for your children than to love them. You cannot predict what will become of your children, but I can assure you, as many child psychologists, pediatricians and psychiatrists can also assure you, that children armed with unfettered, unconditional love will be successful. They will have success in loving others, in being available, in being considerate, open and kind-hearted. And, it’s a known formula. It’s not a secret.

Because of this power of love, we use ‘love’ to express the relationship between the Divine and ourselves, most aptly expressed in 1 John 3:1:

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children, and that is what we are.

Note that God’s love is lavished upon us, not just given or offered. His love is sumptuous, extravagant and rich, almost beyond our capacity to understand. And this is where our human love becomes indicative of that Divine love. Our human love is a ‘taster’. As children of God, the ultimate revelation is that we, one day, shall be like him (1 John 3:2), we shall understand that love fully, we shall participate in the same loving action through which the Divine calls creation into being over and over again.

In the Gospel this Sunday (John 10:11 – 18) Jesus is the metaphorical shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Such is the strength of this image that there is no comparison to his role to that of a shepherd who cares for his flock. No. Jesus is the shepherd, and we are his flock. Jesus’ understanding appears absolutely and utterly literal. And this is the sense that we should take. God’s love is literal, expressed as it is through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, through the story of Israel, through our own inspired experiences of loving and being loved.

And this story begins anew and afresh in you. Love your children lavishly. Give it freely.