March 4, 2011 Friday: God's Perfect Love
Reflecting God's perfect love
God's love for us is everlasting. That means that God's
love for us existed before we were born and will exist after
we have died. It is an eternal love in which we are
embraced. Living a spiritual life calls us to claim that
eternal love for ourselves so that we can live our temporal
loves - for parents, brothers, sisters, teachers, friends,
spouses, and all people who become part of our lives - as
reflections or refractions of God's eternal love. No
fathers or mothers can love their children perfectly. No
husbands or wives can love each other with unlimited love.
There is no human love that is not broken somewhere.
When our broken love is the only love we can have, we are
easily thrown into despair, but when we can live our broken
love as a partial reflection of God's perfect, unconditional
love, we can forgive one another our limitations and enjoy
together the love we have to offer.
-Henri Nouwen
