Living In Mysterious Love

"God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ"

Colossians 4:3

I love a great mystery.  

Especially one with a quirky unpredictable hero who inserts him or herself into the plot delighting to take every twist and turn as the mystery unfolds.

Perhaps that explains my intrigue with this grand mystery that was written years ago yet still invites each of us today to uncover.

Scripture affectionately describes this Mystery as Jesus Himself. 

Each one of us receives this beautiful invitation to share and live in the mystery of Christ's life, death and resurrection.

Will we respond to the call?

Warning.  Every great mystery involves some element of risk.  We can not enter into the mystery of Christ and remain where we are.

This Mystery knows us, sees through us and confronts the places we would much rather leave undisturbed.

Re-visting the accounts of Christ and the way He treated others in the midst of his own dark raw pain I could not help but feel the sting of some very unsettling questions.

Questions that would expose the state of my own heart and the conditions that I place on love.

When circumstances get difficult Nicole - what do you speak forth?

What do

 your words

 and actions

 speak forth?

Fear or faith in a Risen Saviour?

Self-Defence or rest in the One who is fully trustworthy?

Forgiveness that leads to restoration or stingy grace as I keep others at a safe distance?

Love or criticism?

Concern for the needs of others or self-absorption?

Does

 my life

 reflect

 the Mystery

 of Christ?

What does living in mysterious love look like?

To live full of truth and grace even when it comes with a significant cost.

To welcome and embrace those who are overlooked and cast aside regardless of what others may think.

To pour lavish love upon our enemies.

To extend grace without conditions.

To dine and extend hospitality to those who betray, reject and forsake us.

To remain faithful even to those who wound and abandon us

Does my life

 proclaim the

mysterious

love of

 Christ?

To choose meekness over self-protection. 

To see others for who they will "become" instead of for their failures and mistakes.

To remain gentle even when unfairly accused.

To consider others in our suffering.

To give of ourselves for others to be set free.

To cover rather than expose the shame and sin of others.

To surrender and trust in the will and plan of the Father rather than fight to remain in control of our own lives.

We are

called to

 live in 

the mysterious

 love of

Christ.

This is the mysterious love we are called to live.

The love of Christ that extends, heals, restores and transforms.

If you are like me even with the best of intentions I fail miserably at living in this kind of holy love.

I admit that I cannot recall the last time I invited someone who "unfriended," wounded or betrayed me over for dinner.

There are still days I fear others will see right through me as I catch myself pretending to pass off my grace or interest as genuine. 

Jesus remained true to His unwavering loving nature in life and in death.  In humiliation, torment and rejection His love never changed.  He remained true to His word and rose again so that we may live in Him.

This kind of sacrificial love and radical grace is only possible in Christ.

Remain in

 the mysterious love

of Christ.

The only way to love like Christ is to abide in the love of the Risen One.

We are called and commanded to remain in this mysterious extravagant love of Christ. 

We are not meant to celebrate Easter as a holiday we are meant to live Easter.

Awake each day to proclaim and live in this beautiful mysterious love of our Risen Saviour.  

Thanks for dropping by arils and castles and making this castle your home.

Let us cultivate the seeds that nourish our interior castle.

May we be attentive to the unfolding of the beauty of our Beloved so that we may live

 every day overflowing with the fullness of Christ.

I would love to have you join us on this Camino together at arils and castles.  You can subscribe at the top of this page to have posts sent directly to your inbox or please leave a comment so we can encourage one another along the way.  

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