We are made for a relationship with God. Somewhere deep inside, every human has an innate desire for connection to the transcendental. People express this desire differently and seek different relationships with God, but the desire is part of our spiritual makeup. God created all humanity and pours God’s own breath into us and we, in turn, spend all of our lives seeking to grow closer to our creator.
The really good news is that the transcendent God seeks us before we even begin our work to grow closer to God. God’s love and presence are inescapable certainties of human existence. Some of our church fathers called this irresistible grace. They proclaimed that God’s grace lived before us, finds and saves us and we are powerless against God’s beautiful gifts of love, grace, forgiveness, peace, and intimate relationship.
St. Augustine experienced and wrote beautifully about his powerlessness over his desire for closeness with God:
You called, you cried, you shattered my deafness. You sparkled, you blazed, you drove away my blindness. You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, and I pant for you. I tasted and now I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and now I burn with longing for your peace.
Trust your desire for God and the ways that manifests itself. You were made to be in relationship with God the creator, and this creator is exploding with creativity. You never know where this relationship with lead you. You might be like Augustine and your desire for God burns with longing for God’s peace. When we long for God’s peace, that peace does not stop at our own hearts. Our burning desire pushes us out of our comfort to share that peace with others. The mission of APC speaks to this longing for God’s peace when it says we desire to share God’s love daily.
May you be reshaped, reformed, and transformed by God the creator as your spirit is nourished in holy relationship with God.
