The music by Andrew Lloyd Webber soars and the words by Black & Hart rise above the mundane to state some wondrous truths.
All of us know a little of the transforming power of love, in our own days and ways. The Bible is full of the astonishing love of God towards his world and his people. The most famous verse in the Bible states,'For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.' (John 3.16).
The rest of the New Testament unpacks that profound truth.
In the Old Testament, Jeremiah, often known as the Prophet of Doom, because of his relentless message of judgement, reminds God's people of his deep love for them, in spite of their behaviour. 'Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.' (Jeremiah 31.3)
One of my favourite passages about the love of God comes in Paul's prayer for his friends in Ephesus. 'I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.' (Ephesians 3.16-19)
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.' (Jeremiah 31.3)
One of my favourite passages about the love of God comes in Paul's prayer for his friends in Ephesus. 'I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.' (Ephesians 3.16-19)
Paul sees that as our roots will grow down into God’s love, then we are enabled to discover the 3-D nature of God's love towards us, and are made complete - job done! And that all comes as we know the love of God more and more and more.
Remarkably, we are to be the agents of God's transforming love for one another, as together we discover how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
So today, whatever we are doing, my prayer is that we help others to realise that Love Changes Everything!
Best wishes,
Richard
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