Love and Lent

  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
         that whoever believes in him should not perish
                  but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
 
February, with Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday, is the time of love and Lent. And the verse quoted above combines those two thoughts.
 
The verse has perhaps been over-used in recent years, but I think it’s time we reclaimed the message. Martin Luther said that the whole of the Gospel was contained in those words. And they certainly convey the thoughts of this season.
 
Love! The scriptures say that God is love. And this verse tells us that God loved the whole world. If we read all the Bible, we see that story of love from the very beginning.
 
The people who were loved were just people. And being people, they often had misconceptions and misunderstandings of the God of their ancestors. So, the story tells us that God sent Jesus to help make that love clear.
 
Lent! The season is a time when we are to remember the love and mercy that God gives. We remember the stories of Jesus’ ministry during this time. We remember His love for all the world.
 
Pretty simple, huh? But also complicated and difficult to understand at times. Love and Lent. This month, why not take some time just to remember God’s Love for us that comes to us in the stories of Lent. Hmmm!
                  
                                   Pastor Nancy