The God who is Madly In Love!

 

Who is God? This question has been a point of reflection and debate for many theologians, mystics, philosophers for millennium.  A question that perhaps you and I have asked and thought of at some point in our lives.  Who is God?  

 

Holy Week gives us an amazing point to enter that conversation and try to come to some sense of who God is.  

 

The image of God that is presented today is undeniably unique.   Imagine for a moment that you know nothing about Christianity and haven’t heard of the Christian God.  Imagine you haven’t heard of the Scriptures or don’t know any Christian who would share the God story with you.  Imagine showing up today and hearing the readings, seeing palms and the cross.  What would you think?  You might end up scratching your head thinking, “Huh? This is God?”  

 

Take today’s second reading as an example. In St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, he describes God.  Paul writes, “God emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave.”   A slave, one of the lowest elements in society, something one would never choose for oneself.  Slaves who are often considered not to be human beings, but more as possessions.   He became a slave.  Mind you this is not a simple story from mythology where God pretends to be someone else or puts on a disguise to find out how and what his followers are doing.  Based on that, then decides to either reward or punish them. Rather, this is a God who actually became that slave and lived it.   

 

This is God, the King of Jerusalem.  Look at Him as He enters the city. God rides on a donkey.  This is not how one would envision a king or God entering His holy city.  Look at His coronation and what it entails – whips, lashes, mockery, and spittle. His crown?  Thorns!  There are no shouts of “long live the king!” rather there are shouts of “crucify Him!  crucify Him!”  His throne becomes an instrument of torture, humiliation, and death.   This is God?   This is not how gods are portrayed.  Gods are usually powerful.  They rule, they reign, they are not killed.   This is God?  

 

Why would the God of Jesus, in Jesus, embrace and reveal Himself in this way?   I believe the reason is it reveals to us how the Christian God is madly in love with all of humanity.  He is so in love with us that there is no part of humanity, no human experience that is so abhorrent to Him that He will not embrace it.   Even the worst that happens to us whether it be beatings, mockeries, sufferings, pain, torment, illness, and yes even death are so precious to Him because they are part of us.   When life goes wrong, we cannot run away from it and so He will not run away from it. He will embrace it and transform it.  That’s who God is. 

 

Today, is called Passion Sunday.  This day reminds us not only of Jesus’ suffering and death, but also to remind us of what the word passion means – it’s what enflames us, the desire that gives us joy and life.  It reminds us of God’s true passion.  We are God’s passion, desire, joy and God’s love!  

 

Who is God?  The passion tells us all about Him.  He is a God who is madly in love with us!