No one or no thing in this world could ever satisfy or fulfill us.  For us to stop at the love of that person (or thing), is to guarantee our frustration and misery.  But this is not true with regard to our greatest love (that being of God Himself). The goal of the Christian’s churched life is to “stretch” as far as possible to this ultimate love of God.

Recently, in reading Augustine’s City of God, I was struck by his (Augustine’s) teaching, that God is to be loved with no reference to anything else.  In other words, God is to be loved for who He is without any appeal to anything else.  Of course, the great church father affirms and insists on the fact that this knowledge and love of the true God is only possible through the mediation of His beloved Son (The Word) of God, Jesus Christ our Lord.

When we love anything else in the universe–even properly and lawfully–we, in a sense love that thing/being/person/angel with reference to something else, even higher than the thing/being/person/angel.  We can love a rock, knowing that it could be a jewel; we can love a jewel, knowing that it could be a gift; we could love a gift, because it blesses a receiver; we can love a receiver (human person), because we want their very best.  And this “very best” is a loving relationship with the one, true, holy, and eternal Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

But, when it comes to our love for God, the Holy Trinity, there is no further reference.  He is loved solely for who He is, not for anything “beyond” Him, because there *is* nothing “beyond” Him.

Read More