Free us!

"...if we are still tainted by the lie that we can do something to make God love us more, we are rejecting the message of the cross."

Brennan Manning, "The Ragamuffin Gospel"

Wow, that. I think it begins early in childhood, when we are vying for attention. "Watch me!" We holler out to anyone we want to impress. It is up to us to draw attentive eyes toward us so we can be validated. With God, we are so small and God is so big. Why and how we would ever think we even could impress God, much less have to? And yet, I can surely see that in my repertoire. Jesus just wants us to love God and each other. In today's Gospel Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27) Does that sound like someone holding a bar outstretched for us to jump over? Jesus knows that our loving each other will enhance our lives and help us to be happy. Jesus knows that serving each other will fill us with a joy that cannot come from simply trying to please God. Jesus knows what we need to be fulfilled in this life. And it isn't spinning our wheels calling out to God, "Watch me!" Lord, please help us to free ourselves...from ourselves! Love, heidi