LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Strings of Love
"With human strings I drew them, with strings of love" (Hosea 11:4).
For those of us who have received God's salvation through his Son, the love of Christ, which binds us as brothers, is like a sweet yet nostalgic bond. When we experience communion with our brethren, we are filled with joy at feeling one in the Spirit; yet, at the same time, when we say goodbye until the next time, we grieve at the separation, even if it is as brief as the flower of a day - if we consider it from the eternity that awaits us.
This physical absence from one another, and above all, this absence of our common Beloved, makes us long more and more for the glorious day of his arrival. Oh, do not tarry, you who are sweeter than honey! We often think: If we -imperfect creatures even in our earthly condition- long for him so fervently, how much more will he, who is perfect in his love for us, no longer wish to draw us soon to himself! If it depended on our poor senses, we would have no basis for this hope; but the will -and its promise- come from him himself, and this does encourage us, even though we are still passers - by in this long night.
When we think of our brothers and sisters scattered over the face of this planet, we rejoice to see how the Holy Spirit is revealing to them -as to all of us who seek him with a pure heart- the treasures of the manifold wisdom of God, in Christ. A feeling of tenderness fills us to know that today there are so many who know, declare and live the lordship of Christ, that by the grace of God we share with them this same reality, and that we are blessed, "for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you".
The love of God, manifested in Christ Jesus, is the key, the perfect bond. As natural men, we could have points of disagreement, disparate opinions, and we would never live in full communion with one another. For this reason, we are moved to see how, in this diversity, God has poured out his Spirit, and is bringing us together in the only Being in whom people can be reconciled with one another: Jesus, the Son of God.
Today Christ dwells in our hearts through faith. We firmly believe this, and because of this blessed faith -a gift of God- we will not fear if any brother occasionally expresses a different feeling, according to his soul; for we know that He who began a good work in us will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. With this conviction, and firmly rooted in the love of Christ, we will be able to bear one another's weaknesses, knowing that we are only pieces of rough stone which, in the hands of the supreme Artificer, will be changed into precious stones, to reflect His perfect glory.
May the Lord grant us to see each one of our brothers, not with the half-veiled eyes of our soul, but with His gaze, which is impregnated with His eternal love. We need it so much!