Foolishness of Love

Everyone, everywhere wants to be of value. Everyone, everywhere wants to be loved.

Christians believe that, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, love came down as one of us.

This human being, Christians contend, entered into the mystery of human violence; suffering and dying, and rising to new life to show that our inheritant violent, competitive natures don’t need to fight for God’s love. It exists already. Waiting to be claimed.

Ancient Scriptures, Hebrew and New admit that this argument is “foolishness” to many (1 Corinthians 1:23). Surely, God’s wrath and curse is on one who would die in such a terrible way (Deuteronomy 21:22–23)? This is a “new” teaching, and this is “difficult” (John 6:60).

Yet, Christians, fools that they are, believe in this Jesus, the One they call the “Christ.”

Everytime I go to a conference, one related to ministry in any way, I’m struck by the need – of individuals, communities, and the world – for love. And I’m struck by the craziness, the radical nature of this message: that God is love; that God loves all; and that in the beautiful brokenness of humanity, God truly does dwell.