GROWTHSpiritual Growth wrongly understood is death. It produces people who are proud, judgmental, exclusive. Cold hearts, unauthentic, lives, shrivelled souls Spiritual growth rightly understood is a life of wonder, joy, worship, gratitude, servanthood, humility, courage and truth. One characteristic: LOVE Mark 12: 30-31 1 Corinthians 13: 2 1 John 4:8 Love is God’s Signature. Is it ours? Love and Grace In a fallen world love cannot exist for long without grace. Grace is what allows love to be hurt but keep forgiving, to be rejected but keep hoping, to see potential goodness buried beneath the surface. Grace is the oxygen that love needs to breath. Question: What is the one thing the Church has to offer that the world cannot get anywhere else? GRACE Living in grace, remembering grace, keeps love alive. Losing touch with grace is a love-killer. Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” is the story of the triumph of grace. “You must never forget this moment. Your soul, your life have been boughtback. You are not your own. From now on you belong to God.” Because of love Jean Valjean’s life becomes an act of love. Opposed to Valjean is Jauvert. He believes in truth. He desires a society without falsehood. He makes personal sacrifices to pursue such a society. He believes he is an agent of good. But in his world there is no room for grace.
To love another person is to see the face of God. This is the Church the way it’s supposed to be. This is spiritual growth the way it’s meant to be. People whose lives, because of God’s grace, because of Jesus’ death for them on the Cross, become an act of love. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13: 13 If you and I are serious about being Christians then one thing is ultimately required of us. John 15: 1-10
Remain in Christ daily. Stay close to Him. Receive His grace and be a grace-giver.
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