Being lovable

Decided to introduce myself to Father Kev (Catholic chaplain at uni) today. I’ve been involved with group at university for 18 months now, but until now hadn’t introduced myself to this cool, jazz piano playing chaplain. Anyway, I digress… We sat down for a random chat and he proceeded to tell me theological stuff he’s been mulling over. He’s been thinking through some concepts of the trinity. He was talking about how the trinity is in a loving relationship with each other. Each is perfectly loving, and each is perfectly lovable.

That just kinda made me think for a moment. We can love God because God is a lovable being – God can receive our love. i.e. God is not just loved just because of who he is, but because part of the character of God is he is lovable. For me, I have always understood the whole ‘we love God’ concept as us giving love, but not really seen it as God being a lovable being. I find it easier to see humans as lovable creatures because we are more ‘needy’ and the fact that God loves us. But we are lovable, because God also is lovable and we are made in the image of God. And if love is not boastful or proud, than Love is capable of receiving love.

This sense of being lovable is central to our well-being. In a state of unhealthiness, people think they are unlovable. The perception of being unlovable destroys all aspects of a person’s being (e.g. last week at university there was a real tragedy – a student fell 6 floors in a suspected suicide). A healthy person understands that he or she is lovable and accepts love. And what better love to accept than a perfect love offered only by God.