Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent & Easter

by Ron Rolheiser, OMI

“Instead, shout for joy and be glad forever
in what I am creating.
Indeed, I am creating Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight”.

(ISAIAH 65:18)

“The deep truth that God loves us unconditionally lies at the heart of our faith. We believe God looks down on our lives and says, “You are my beloved child. In you I take delight!” We do not doubt the truth of that, we just find it impossible to believe. 

Unless we are extraordinarily blessed, we rarely, if ever, experience unconditional love. Mostly we experience love with conditions: Our parents love us better when we do not mess up. Our teachers love us better when we behave and perform well. Our churches love us better when we do not sin. Friends love us better when we are attractive. Our spouses love us better when we do not disappoint them. Mostly, we have to measure up in some way to be loved.  

Many of us also have been wounded by supposed expressions of love that weren’t love but were expressions of self-serving manipulation, exploitation, or even abuse. We wither under that and become the walking wounded, unable to believe that we are loved and lovable. We know God loves us, so how can we make ourselves believe it? 
 

Deep down, below our wounded parts, the child of God who still inhabits the recesses of our soul knows that he or she is made in God’s image and likeness and is special, beautiful, and lovable” (32).