spending and spent

Interesting thought yesterday in Sunday School as Coart was teaching….

The theology of the covenants (Grace vs Law, in one common classification) intersects Planet Earth on a number of levels.  Just one:  Not only is God the ruler of all things because He is the biggest, most powerful Being in the entire universe.  The Story of redemption ensures that we will worship the sacrificial, risen Christ more for His undeniable goodness (as evidenced by His selfless sacrifice to save a sinful people).

Why does this matter?
Consider Milton’s sketch of Satan in Paradise Lost: The envious archangel allows pride and envy to gnaw into his soul, muttering to himself that God rules in heaven merely because He has the bigger army. In Satan’s mind (according to Milton), he simply got the short end of the deal.

Of course, Milton and the Bible are on wholly different planes, but I wonder if Milton might have been on to something.

I’m no fan of the hyper-Calvinism that states “a world of sinful humanity is the best of all possible worlds” because somehow God could not have been ultimately glorified if sin had not been introduced into the human race. Bad theology (as far as I can tell).  But no one, not even Satan himself, will be able to deny the irrefutable goodness of a God who chose to execute His just wrath on Himself so that He could give it away freely to people who do not deserve such love.

*****
While on the topic of love….

As a teen listening to radio singles and top 40 hits, I scoffed that 99% of popular music centers on love as a theme. “Shallow!” I harrumphed, and wondered why people couldn’t come up with anything else to think about.

Twice the number of years later, I begin to glimpse the hard-as-nails reality of true love — it is divine, not human.

It is a paradox of uncomplaining sacrifice.
It slams my selfishness into the broad light, leaving me exposed for what I really am apart from Grace.
Love gives away its soul on the earnest that relationships aren’t a zero-sum game. My heart can get bigger. Love begets love.

Perhaps the bulk of human culture references love because, like a Jungian archetype, the shadow of selfless love has been burned into our very souls by the Creator who still loves His broken images… and buys us back.