Why Does God Love Us?

Why does God love us?

God loves us because He is pure and infinite love. It is His very nature to love. As Ronald Rolheiser, the American theologian, beautifully puts it:

God loves us when we are good, and God loves us when we are bad. God loves the saints in heaven, and God equally loves the devils in hell. They merely respond differently. The father of the prodigal son and of his older brother loves both equally—one in his weakness, the other in his bitterness—and his embrace is not contingent upon their conversion. He loves them even inside their distance from him.

God cannot deny Himself. His love is not a reaction; it is a reflection of who He is. He is love—unconditional, unchanging, and infinite. His love does not depend on us—on whether we succeed or fail, do good or do wrong. God’s love flows from the very core of His being.

God does not waver or drift in His love from person to person or situation to situation. No—He loves us consistently, because He remains true to Himself.

God loves us because He is love.

The deeper question for us might be this: Can we cultivate a life and a personality rooted in love—not based on who others are or what they do, but on who we are called to be?

 

Notes

·       Rolheiser, R. (2014). Sacred fire: A vision for a deeper human and Christian maturity (p. 118). Image.

·       The Parable of the Prodigal Son – See Luke 15:11–32.

·       “God is love” – See 1 John 4:8. 

 

 

The Unjust Judge Within

Humans may be the only species that consciously believes in the principle of justice. At its core, justice is the practice of fairness, moral rightness, and lawfulness in how we treat others—and ourselves. It requires that consequences are given in proportion to the action and that we do not carry burdens beyond what is deserved.

Yet within us often lives a quiet contradiction: an unjust judge. While we may say we value justice, we frequently rehearse guilt, shame, and blame far beyond what fairness allows. A mistake, once made, becomes a lifelong sentence. Rather than paying once, we pay repeatedly—mentally, emotionally, and relationally.

In The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz observes:

How many times do we pay for one mistake? The answer is thousands of times. The human is the only animal on earth that pays a thousand times for the same mistake... We make a mistake, we judge ourselves, we find ourselves guilty, and we punish ourselves... every time we remember, we judge ourselves again... and again if we have a wife or husband he or she also reminds us of the mistake, so we can judge ourselves again, punish ourselves again, and find ourselves guilty again. Is this fair?

Ruiz goes on to ask how often we make others—our spouses, children, parents, or friends—pay repeatedly for the same wrongdoing. Each time we recall their mistakes, we reactivate our hurt and send them the emotional poison of resentment. That cycle, he says, is not justice.

True justice sets limits on punishment. It frees us after a wrong has been addressed. But the unjust judge within us thrives on memory, turning justice into a tool of torment. Instead of restoring balance, it reopens wounds.

To break this cycle, we must first recognize the presence of this inner judge and respond with compassion. Real justice begins with mercy—toward ourselves and others. It ends not in endless punishment but in peace.

Notes

[1] Ruiz, D. M. (1997). The four agreements: A practical guide to personal freedom (p. 12). Amber-Allen Publishing.

Soul Seeks Meaning in Pain

Pain is a universal experience shared by all living beings. A broken bone or a burn causes physical pain, which even animals feel. This instinctive reaction to pain is part of our shared biological makeup. However, Harold Kushner highlights a distinctly human ability: the capacity to view pain through the lens of meaning. Unlike animals, the human soul seeks to find purpose, especially in moments of suffering.

Kushner contrasts two intense forms of human pain: childbirth and passing a kidney stone. While no one would willingly endure the pain of a kidney stone, as it serves no purpose, a woman embraces the pain of childbirth because it holds profound meaning. This meaning transforms suffering into a source of joy, fulfillment, and new life.

Kushner reminds us, “Pain is the price we pay for being alive.” Dead bodies feel no pain. When we approach pain—whether physical or emotional—with a perspective of meaning-making, our focus shifts. Instead of asking:

“Why do we have to feel pain?”

We begin to ask:

“How can we make our pain meaningful, rather than just empty suffering?”

Though we may not always understand why pain occurs, we can choose how to respond. Pain can either embitter us or cultivate growth, compassion, and sensitivity. By discovering meaning in suffering, we can transform it into a pathway for healing, personal growth, and communion.

 

Notes

Kushner H. S. (1981). When bad things happen to good people (pp. 72-73). Anchor Books.

The Power of Memory: Guiding the Present, Shaping the Future

To remember is to allow the past to live again in such a way that it can shape the present and the future.

Memory is one of the most powerful forces shaping human life. While we often focus on our thoughts, emotions, relationships, and beliefs, it is memory—quiet and persistent—that influences us in profound and lasting ways. Our past is not behind us; it is within us, guiding the present and shaping the path ahead.

Every decision we make is colored by what we remember. A painful memory can cause us to avoid risk or intimacy. A joyful one can give us the courage to step forward. Our behaviors, reactions, and even the ways we interpret reality are often filtered through the lens of remembered experience—sometimes consciously, often unconsciously.

Our culture, relationships, spiritual life, and emotional world all leave imprints on our memory. These imprints don’t just sit idly; they inform how we live, what we expect, and how we relate to others and to ourselves.

That’s why it is essential to become aware of the memories we carry. Some memories nourish and inspire us. Others may be distorted, painful, or limiting. Yet all memories carry meaning—and when approached reflectively, they offer insight, healing, and the possibility of transformation.

We are not powerless before our memories. We can choose to revisit them, reframe them, and even release those that no longer serve our growth. In doing so, we align memory with our values, letting it support—not sabotage—our present and future.

By learning from memory without being ruled by it, we become freer, wiser, and more whole.

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
— Attributed to Carl Jung

Notes

Jung, C. G. (1959). Aion: Researches into the phenomenology of the self (Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 9, Part 2, para. 126, pp. 70–71). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1951)