Have you ever paused and been truly amazed by the sheer fact that you exist? It’s a thought that can stop you in your tracks – this incredible reality of being, amidst the vastness of everything. Imagine the nothingness before existence, a concept explored in ancient wisdom, where only the divine existed. Then, in a moment of profound will, everything is spoken into being. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why are we here? Searching for a concrete reason often leads to a beautiful mystery.
Throughout history, humanity has grappled with this very mystery, seeking to understand the source of creation and our place within it. David Fleming’s reflection, “God is Love Loving,” offers a powerful insight that resonates deeply. It echoes the timeless words from the first letter of John: “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” (1 John 4:16). This simple yet profound statement suggests that love isn’t just something God does, but fundamentally who God is. It is from this very essence of love that everything we know and experience comes into being. The universe, life, and our own selves are born from God’s desire, God’s love. When we ask “why?”, the answer isn’t a complex equation, but a declaration of divine love.
This understanding transforms our perspective. Everything we are, everything we have, is a gift rooted in this divine desire for connection and creation. Does this love come with demands? Perhaps not in the way we often perceive demands. It suggests that God’s desire is simply for our existence, for us to embrace who we are in our truest form. Unlike the fixed nature of the natural world, we as humans possess the unique gift and sometimes burden of choice. We are created in God’s image, with the potential for incredible love and compassion, yet we also have the freedom to stray from our inherent goodness. This freedom is a risk inherent in love itself. We can, unfortunately, choose to be less loving, less human, less reflective of the divine image within us. Yet, even in these moments, the foundational truth remains: God’s love, the source of our being, remains constant and unwavering.
Trying to articulate this profound love can feel like babbling, much like our imperfect attempts to explain any deep, heartfelt love we experience. When someone asks “why do you love me?”, words often fall short. The most genuine answer often echoes a simple truth: “I just love you, that’s all.” Perhaps, in the face of the immensity of divine love, even God might simply say the same.
