The Longing to Belong
“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all… if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.”
In a sermon a handful of years ago, pastor and author Peter Rollins described love in a way unlike anything I had heard before.
“Love is like light,” he said, before elaborating. Light is most definitely something that we can see. We know when it is present. But, you can’t point at light and say, “there it is” as if it is an object or hold it in your hand.
We know that light is present by what light illuminates. Wherever light is, it draws all else into existence. Its nature, its essence, is entirely outward focused. Whatever light touches is made perceptible, drawn out to be seen. It differentiates the uniqueness of each thing. In an otherwise dark room, light brings a table and chairs to the forefront - a kind of “serving” that draws all else into being.
Love is like light. Like light you know love is present by what it reveals - and how.
Love is also difficult to point to and say, “there it is.” You know love is present when the true, unique, and real are revealed in another. Like light, love draws others to the forefront. Love draws out another to be perceived, to be known, to be differentiated as worthy, valid, and important - important enough to receive the attention love, by nature, has already devoted.
What arises in you as you reflect on this comparison? How have you experienced love that reveals who you truly are? How do you love in ways that reveal the beauty and belovedness of those around you?
Revealed in Love - Inward Communion
ReWire’s emphasis on contemplation and intimacy with God is rooted in the premise that it is only in God’s gracious presence, through God’s healing love, that our truest self can be revealed and fully emerge. The light of God’s love moves us inwardly to reveal the landscape of our soul - especially in the most dark places. When God’s light is allowed to shine in our darkness and brokenness, we do not experience wrath or condemnation. God shines His gentle, patient light into dark places to bring liberation and healing from its control - so that our truest selves can be drawn to the forefront.
Revealing Others in Love - Outward Community
“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”
The longing to find a people to whom we belong is twofold. There is a longing for a community that we receive love in - that is, community that draws us out for who we are and accepts us. There is also a longing for community in which we draw out others, reveal them, move them to the forefront, and accept them. We are created to both give and receive love - and it is in authentic community that we experience both.
When we are moved inwardly into communion with God, we experience love that reveals our dignity, beauty, and belovedness. In this experience, we are also moved to extend that love outwardly. We long for community because we long for love. The community we long for is created when we give others the love they long for. When our love reveals the dignity and beauty of others, we create the kind of community in which we might receive the love we long for. Our belovedness is revealed when we reveal the belovedness of another. Our true beauty is revealed when our love reveals the true beauty of those around us.
How does Bonhoeffer’s quote resonate with you?
