God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love,
we live in God and God lives in us
1 John 4:16
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
When I think of the greatness of this great plan
I fall on my knees before God the Father, a
and I pray that you, firmly fixed in love yourselves,
may be able to grasp how wide and deep and long and high
is the love of Christ and to know for yourselves that love
so far beyond our comprehension.
May you be filled though all your being with God himself
Ephesians 3:14-19
This post is about the power of love and features a movie entitled “Shelter“
Both the character and action of God is one of Love!
1 Corinthians 13 provides a snapshot of the attitude and actions of Love.
The qualities of love are “beyond human comprehension”.
The nature of love comes to full expression in the person and works of Jesus. He kneels to be with a woman “caught in the act of adultery.” (John 8;2-10) He calls a group of fisherman who are on the lowest rung on social status. (John 1:16-17) He eats with a tax collector that is considered the scum of society. (Mark 2:13-17) He approaches lepers who are rejected from social interaction with “normal” persons. He heals a sick lad because of the persistence of a mother. He feeds 5000 because he is concerned that they are hungry. (Mark 6:30-44) He travels to Samaria, of all places, just to encounter one woman who is terribly bruised and broken. (John 4:4-26)Â He heals two demoniacs whose behavior is a threat to human decency. (Matthew 8:28-34)Â Generally, he associates with “tax collectors and sinners” who are the rejects of respectable society. (Matthew 11:18-20) To the ire of the disciples He breaks social mores by talking with a woman, and that, alone. (John 4:27) He defends a woman who exercises extravagant behavior by pouring expensive perfume on Jesus feet. (Matthew 26:6-8)
The persons of the Trinity give and receive love. Made in God’s image, we too were created to give and receive love. Without this interchange will wilt like a without water!
Now, to the movie “Shelter“. For those of you who tend to be extremely sensitive about certain behaviors and speech, you most likely should not watch the movie. For those of you who are biased about “strange” religious faiths, you probably should not watch the movie. For those of you who find it difficult to see the human condition of many, you probably should not watch the movie. By now, you get my drift!
“Shelter” is about a woman and man who are “street people. At first their relationship is one of antagonism. With time their lives become intertwined by the power of love. That’s enough as I don’t want to give away the impact of the movie!Â
