The Paradox of God's Love

There was a beautiful moment at church the other day:  a disabled, wheel-chair bound person, brought to the church by a volunteer servant to the infirm,  gave the church a Bible she owned for over 40 years.  She said she received a Children’s Bible as a gift when she was young, but never used it herself due to her disability.  Because of the way the church had showed her love, and because she wanted someone to benefit from the Bible, she gave it to the church to be read during the worship service.  We read from it that day for Children’s Sunday.

This was a beautiful moment because it reminded us how God elevates the weak, sick, and infirm, promoting them to a special place in the community as a demonstration of the unique character of his love.  Sure, God reveals his special love to marginal peoples through the charitable work of the church, but few in the church would expect to receive God’s love from those on the margins who  have so little to give.  It’s a remarkable paradox–God promotes his power and love through those who seem so powerless to love.

This is why the triune God and his church are so good:  we, all of whom are weak, experience God’s love through the miracle of his healing, in which the Spirit empowers his children to give whatever they have for the benefit of others.  In the church, it’s not just the strong that give;  God makes it so the “weak” are made strong through their gracious gifts to others.

It’s a beautiful thing to observe.

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