大象传媒

Good morning.

It was Archbishop Desmond Tutu who said,

鈥淲e are good because we are loved,

not loved because we are good鈥�.

听

If it was up to each one of us to earn it,

we might not be loved very much.

Too much goat and not enough sheep.

And yet loved we are, since God is in all things,

even the bits we think are ugly and unmentionable.

We are loved,

but God wants us to give love back, to others,

giving and receiving

in a mutual relationship.

Love makes us better

holds us together

reaching out to the other.

听

Being in relationship with God means being in relationship with the other - doing some good; the smallest gesture, the tender hand, looking after the creation, setting God鈥檚 values at the centre of everything we do in God鈥檚 world, and not seeing everything as being there for our own enjoyment, a disposable culture.

听

It means being fair and not exploiting others, getting what we can grab.

It means giving and not taking.

It means being alongside not overpowering others.

It even means welcoming and respecting the stranger in our midst since

it may be the Christ unannounced.

听

God of love

You love us and want us to grow into fullness

Strengthen us to become all you would have us be

So that we might see you in everyone we meet today. Amen.