She twisted her mouth to one side and shook her head at me. She still didn’t understand. We were discussing God’s gracious love for sinners in class. She had come to the office because she was struggling with what I was saying. The long folds of her Muslim head covering fluttered every time she admitted that she hadn’t grasped it. God’s love for good people, yes, she understood that. God’s love for those who tried, yes, she could grasp that too. But a gracious and unconditional love for everyone, even terrible people? She was not buying it. 

I was reminded of these words. My own ability to convey this to the young woman isn’t really my fault. It’s the fact that our human nature no longer operates in sync with God. He doesn’t make sense to us. The fundamental principle of God’s kingdom, His relationship with His Son, and with us, is His gracious and eternal love – not power. He has power, so don’t make the mistake of thinking He is powerless, but that power doesn’t determine what He does. It is His love. Even on my best days, I can’t truly grasp that. I am too much a part of this world and too deeply enmeshed in the power dynamic by which this world operates. 

But Jesus has given me the Spirit of God. There are things I can understand, and certainly things I can thank God for that I do not fully comprehend. I think there’s always some old stinker of a sinner lurking in the background of my inner life, questioning whether this love of God for me has a catch—some fine print that might make it less good after all. I catch myself trying to limit the love of God, wanting to make it smaller and more reasonable for myself at times. But He always finds a way to shatter that for me. Like the young woman in my office, I needed God to open my heart and mind to Himself. I still need it. Praise God for Pentecost! RPB