The first one we hate - the last one we love - is ourselves. It is far easier to love others - than ourselves. Forgiving - forgetting - letting go - consoling - accepting - the shortcomings of others - is always so much easier than ourselves. How we love others - we can count the many ways - for others we are able to list one positive characteristic after another. When it comes to seeing our good qualities - the list - much shorter. The reality is that for the majority - we are fairly nice - good people. Where we find faults - others see virtues - strengths. Our greatest fault - not seeing the goodness that resides in each of us - failing to see the holy person that God made us.
Hate the sin - love the sinner - pretty much sums up God's feelings for each of us. We know that His love is a love that we ourselves are not capable of expressing. He alone exhibits agape love - a love that is hard to define - a love that never stops - a love that humans are unable to express. As we journey through these weeks of Lent - as we walk through the interior hallways of our heart - as we take time to pause and reflect - the first thing we need to do is to decide to love ourselves - no matter where we are - no matter what we have done - no matter how unlovable we think we are. We need to learn to love ourselves - in spite of ourselves - if we are to ever truly love anyone else. Love will carry us through these 40 days of Lent - God's love - our love for self - to carry us forward to live in a life of love.
Deacon Dale
Hate the sin - love the sinner - pretty much sums up God's feelings for each of us. We know that His love is a love that we ourselves are not capable of expressing. He alone exhibits agape love - a love that is hard to define - a love that never stops - a love that humans are unable to express. As we journey through these weeks of Lent - as we walk through the interior hallways of our heart - as we take time to pause and reflect - the first thing we need to do is to decide to love ourselves - no matter where we are - no matter what we have done - no matter how unlovable we think we are. We need to learn to love ourselves - in spite of ourselves - if we are to ever truly love anyone else. Love will carry us through these 40 days of Lent - God's love - our love for self - to carry us forward to live in a life of love.
Deacon Dale
