Wednesday 30 April 2025 - For God so loved the world

Wednesday 30 April 2025

Today is Wednesday the 30th of April, in the 2nd week of Eastertide. The community of Taizé sing Gott ist nur Liebe. ‘God is nothing but love. Dare to give all for love. Give yourselves without fear.’ Gott ist nur Liebe. Wagt, für die Liebe alles zu geben. Gott ist nur Liebe. Gebt euch ohne Furcht. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John. Today’s reading comes in three parts to give time for reflection. John 3:16-21 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’. Picture for a moment, God, beholding the World in his arms and gazing with great tenderness upon his creation… …upon the seas and the earth …upon every living creature …and upon you. Now picture Jesus, God’s Son being born… growing up… walking among us… loving us… ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Perhaps you know someone who finds it difficult to believe in Jesus being the Son of God. Picture this person now, as one for whom Jesus came to this world. Imagine the loving gaze of the Lord upon them. Pray that one day, they too will become aware of this loving gaze. 'And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’ Where do you experience light and dark in the world around you? Spend time with the Lord sharing a situation where you sense darkness. Give thanks to the Lord for a situation where you experience light. Finally, sit with these opening words once more, asking God to enable their significance to touch you deeply. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.’ Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen