Something I've been pondering this Advent is the intensity of God's love.
It's truly too much for this little brain to comprehend. How vast can His love be, that it never wavers in devotion? I'll be the first to admit I grieve Him constantly with my rebellion. We break His heart day after day, and He keeps loving us with an unchanging love. "Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands." (Isaiah 49:15, 16, NLT) God was speaking to Israel in those verses. The same mighty Warrior who through the prophet Nahum thundered to nations, "Behold, I am against thee!" loved Israel with the tender love of a mother. Surely if His anger is so terrifying, His love is equally impassioned. The capacity of an almighty God, unrestrained by time or space, to love is breathtaking. That's the Love that was seen by shepherds in a manger, the Love that healed the sick and fed the masses, the Love that gave Himself up for humanity, the Love that conquered the grave, the Love that's coming back one day on a white horse, resplendent in due majesty. "The greatest of these" triumphs because it's stronger, more fierce, than anything we know. But, of course, C. S. Lewis said it best. In one stunning line, he presents us with a Love that is good, but not safe: "It was fiery, sharp, bright and ruthless, ready to kill, ready to die, outspeeding light: it was Charity . . ." (That Hideous Strength, Chapter 15, "The Descent of the Gods")
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This past summer I read Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit. It was a long but incredibly rewarding read, and I loved it. It wasn't as haunting as A Tale of Two Cities (can anything beat that ending?), but it was heart-wrenching and endearing in its own way. It has an intricate plot, tender and stirring moments, downright hilarity, and the sweetest love story. One does not hear about it as much as some of Dickens' other works, so I thought to spotlight it on this li'l blog.
If you know Dickens, you know one of his trademarks is a large cast bursting with zany characters. Little Dorrit is no exception. There are soooo many characters within this 800+ page novel. Languishing behind prison walls, parading high society, traversing the Alps, and lounging in French resorts, this is quite the diverse group. Our heroine, Amy Dorrit, is a picture of virtue and goodness. Born and raised in prison on account of her father's impossible debts, the only life she has known is one of privation and loneliness. But she never complains--she works tirelessly to make her father's lodging in prison a home and to secure a future for her older siblings. She totally forgets herself in love for her family, who are in turn selfish and inconsiderate. But Amy doesn't seem to know how to hold a grudge or do anything but imitate Christ. Many other characters are less than upstanding, however. Some are hilarious while others are terrifying in their extremities. As I read, I realized Dickens, in a way only he can, was painting a portrait of man's many follies in these exaggerated characters. And as I read, I realized I could see myself. "But I say. Look here! That isn't nice at all." I want to be like Amy, meek and forgiving. But in reality I am more like self-righteous Mrs. Clennam. I can relate to Fanny Dorrit's discontentment and envy. Even the detestable Henry Gowan's laziness is familiar. The Circumlocution Office isn't the only example in this book of How Not to Do It. I would do well to heed Amy Dorrit's words: "Oh, Mrs. Clennam, Mrs. Clennam, angry feelings and unforgiving deeds are no comfort and no guide to you and me. . . . Be guided only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who shed tears of compassion for our infirmities. We cannot but be right if we put all the rest away, and do everything in remembrance of Him. There is no vengeance and no infliction of suffering in His life, I am sure. There can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain!" (Little Dorrit, Book Two, Chapter Thirty-One) After all, Jesus is the ultimate example of How to Do It! |
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