Redeemed only by love

I take literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves world. I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love. I believe that divine love, incarnate and indwelling in the world, summons the world always toward wholeness, which ultimately is reconciliation and atonement with God.
-Wendell Berry

R.E.S.P.E.C.T

“There is a difference between American and Latvian women.”

Really? “What it is it?” I wondered aloud during my weekly ESL conversation.

“Well,” began my friend, with his Baltic accent, “It is that American women, and even Russian girls who have been here for awhile, seem to disrespect men.”

“Oh.” I nodded my head, with a slightly furrowed brow.

This isn’t everyone, he assured me, but as I thought more about it, I thought to myself “it’s most of them.” And I am a guilty party. I’ve ridden the current feminism for a long time, and it isn’t entirely in vain. Men can abuse and oppress and disrespect women. But it goes both ways, and female disrespect seems to be a more subtle and culturally acceptable behavior- in fact it’s common. Whether it’s an eye-roll, a condescending remark, or blatant criticism, I’ve heard it, and I’ve done it.

This has just got me thinking…and realizing I am imperfect and failing- and need to confess, repent, and accept forgiveness. This also makes me want to have a renewed, redeemed, reclaimed vision of what a man is, and I want to respect it. I want to honor God in all my attitudes and actions, including respecting men. Even respecting men who are not worthy of respect, and doing so not out of manipulation or solvency, but out of obedience. For Christ’s sake.

I long to see more expressions of true manhood, with men fulfilling living out their maleness for God’s glory! (Same for females, too.) But a godly guy- a real leader- kind of makes a girl’s heart melt. It’s kind of the feeling that…this is the way it’s supposed to be.

Suffering

There is in every life a cup of suffering. Jesus Christ referred to His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and at Calvary as His cup. And had it not overflowed with His life poured out for men, we would have perished.

What a picture of my Master, sharing the wine, the very life blood of His own suffering from His overflowing cup, poured out at Calvary for me. He is there with me in every storm. My Shepherd is alert to every approaching disaster that threatens His people. He had been through the storms of sufferings before. He bore our sorrows and was acquainted with our grief. And now no matter what storms I face, His very life and strength and vitality is poured into mine. It overflows so the cup of my life runs over with His life...often with great blessings and benefit to others who see me and stand up so well in the midst of trials and suffering.

A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23, by Phillip Keller (p. 123-124.)