God Doesn't Seek the Lovable by Chad Bird

The love of God is not like our love. The love of God does not seek the lovable, the likable, or the one who will love him back. God loved us, as it were, even before he found us, even before he created us, from the very foundation of the world. Indeed, his love created us, formed us in our mother’s womb, recreated us in the womb of the church, and continues to love us even when us are mean, spiteful, and unmerciful. Men in search of a wife look for a woman who is attractive, who will love them back. Not God. He found an ugly, disease-infested prostitute whose life was littered with impurity, shame, and every manner of wickedness. This woman God joyfully made his bride. He washed her clean of every filth, forgave her past, clothed her in his own righteousness, and pronounced her beautiful. This woman for whom God did this—she is us. Do not ask why. Simply say Amen. For what else can one say to the love of God except Amen? Yes, yes, it shall be so. The planks in our eyes and the specks in the eyes of our neighbor, he takes these all with him and attaches them to the bloody wood of his cross. They are gone, forgiven. Our failures, infidelities, greed, selfishness—they melt like ice in the heat of our Father's compassion. We are clean. We are pure. We are beloved of God. Nothing and no one mean more to him than we do. And nothing and no one can change that.