EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2021 I began a new venture writing a newspaper column titled "Finding Faith" for the Forum Communications Co. network of newspapers and websites. I was asked to contribute to the company's ongoing conversation about faith, lending a Lutheran and fairly ecumenical approach to the discussion. The column was published in several of the company's papers and websites, including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. This column originally appeared as a "Finding Faith" column on Sept. 20, 2024.
By The Rev. Devlyn Brooks
True, divine-centered love will continue to grow.
Grow larger than just inclusion of immediate family members; larger than your friends; and even beyond your neighbors.
That’s how we know love is actual, true love: It’s infinite.
That was Scott’s message when he married our oldest son, Garrett, and his fiancee this past weekend. Scott is Anna’s godfather, and wrote a lovely and memorable message for the ceremony.
A week later, I’m still stunned that his revelation of what an infinite love looks like surprised me so. Eight years of being clergy, five years of seminary and hundreds of sermons and faith columns later, it took the person presiding over our son’s wedding to help me envision what divine love actually looks like.
And the very first thing that love is … it is infinite. It knows no boundaries.
Much of our division today is because we’ve been convinced that love is another of this world’s resources that is finite. After all, you can’t possibly love everyone, right? That’s not practical!
In Scott’s message, however, he reminded us that, yes, it is possible. You can love more than just your family unit, your collection of friends, and even your own church congregation. You can love beyond your relatively small tribe, and you can love beyond your own political party. You can even love all of those whom you’ve been taught all your life you can’t love. … It’s true.
But the catch is … we can’t do it of our own volition. Because our human understanding of love is too small. Our limited consciousness says that love is so valuable, we must reserve it for those most special to us.
However, that’s not what our Creator teaches us. … God wants us to sprinkle love around like grass seed. Spread it everywhere! Let it grow!
And while that sounds easy, it’s not is it?
Our God is a god of abundance. So there is no limit to grace, mercy, nor love. But we are human, and our first instinct is to protect what’s ours.
Being that love is one of our most valuable commodities, why in the world would we share that with anyone outside our small tribe? Rather, we should be locking that love behind stone walls. Because, if not, someone undeserved may receive some of that valuable love. And that, we think, would be a tragedy.
Our family “officially” grew last week with the addition of a very special daughter-in-law. We are so incredibly lucky to be able to welcome Anna! …I am still overjoyed by the revelation that I could love someone as much as our children.
Divinely inspired love grows, my friends. … And I thank Scott for teaching me this valuable lesson.
Knock down those walls, and open your heart … because love truly is an unlimited resource. It’s what God intended. Amen.
Devlyn Brooks is the interim CEO of Churches United in Moorhead, Minn., and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America serving Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He blogs about faith at findingfaithin.com, and can be reached at devlynbrooks@gmail.com.
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