Saturday, April 14, 2018

Today’s Scripture Reading  |  1 John 3:1–7  
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  (NRSV)

Reflection
“See what love God has for us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

The bond between parent and child is one of the closest and most precious ones we can possibly imagine. But even more precious than the children that come to us through birth or those who come to us along life’s way as gifts of grace through the miracle of coincidences and accidents of geography, is the gift of being called a child of God. Think about it. The creator of all of the universe and beyond universes; the one who formed that tiny little ear or that funny sense of humor; the architect of mountains and deserts and seas; that one, God, has such vast love for each of us. I wind up being the complete and unapologetic focus of it. And so do you. Being called a child of God is absolute and sings with possibility. Being called a child of God begs you to be fearless in stepping into life. Being called a child of God spells joy, spells hope, and it also spells confidence as you find your way into situations that throw you off balance.

What would the world be like if each and every one of us basked in our identity as a child of God? Can you imagine walking down Michigan Avenue, or should I say, dancing down Michigan Avenue, knowing that you are loved beyond your wildest imagining? Can you imagine what it would be like to realize that you are deeply accepted and so enjoyed by God simply because you are on this planet? Can you fathom the joy that you’d exude by the flooding over of love for you and the showering of mercy that could arise from you for the next child of God . . . and the next . . . and the next?

See what love . . . Be called . . . And so you are!

Prayer
Hold our gaze and keep us close, O Parent of Life. Give us your loving embrace and your holy hand, to tend, to accompany, and to enjoy. Through Christ, our brother, your child. Amen.

Written by Lucy Forster-Smith, Senior Associate Pastor for Leadership Development and Adult Education

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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