"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." – 1 John 4:8
Since I believe, deeply, that God is Love, the reverse would seem to be true. Whenever Love flows through us, that means we are in God's presence. Love is God. They are one and the same.
David Whyte writes: "There is a faith in loving fiercely." So many seem to experience love timidly. Perhaps they are afraid. And in their fear, they paradoxically distance themselves from Love. There is no fear in Love and no Love in fear.
At the same time, we humans have an odd belief that if we engage God's Love, this means we will be perpetually happy. I wonder how such a notion would have struck Job, who experienced his trials as a test of Love? The life of Jesus has already told us what it means to live Love with all its attendant trials and sufferings as well as its joys and miracles. Jesus may have died for our sins, but his example of Love shows that we who seek to live Love will have our trials as well.
God calls us to a Love which seems crazy in the eyes of most of the world. What is sensible about loving our enemies? "Pray for those who persecute you," Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:44.) And yet, often when someone grabs me by the arm and tells that they are a Christian I find myself asking them, "How are you doing praying for your enemies?" They look at me as if I am crazy (which, of course, I am.)
Any President of the United States (all of whom have been Christians except Jefferson, who was a Unitarian) who actually practiced the the dictates of the Sermon on the Mount would likely be both impeached and convicted of treason. "Do not resist an evildoer," Jesus commands. (Matthew 5:39) "Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42)
How can we live in this world and still practice such a demanding Love? The answer is that most of us don't. Perhaps, we rationalize that Jesus didn't really mean what he said or was (brace yourself) misquoted! No, Jesus is calling us to love fiercely. If we are to experience God's Love, we must be willing to forego much of what the world offers just as he did.
Love asked of Jesus that he both suffer and let his body die. Perhaps the least we can do is to help alleviate the suffering of others.
This is what caregivers are called to do each day. Nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, those who care for the homeless: None of them ever get rich from their work. They choose to forego riches to live Love.
In the dark heart of night, in the wake of a patient's death, in the presence of great pain, so many caregivers must often wonder about Love's calling. The best perservere.
This is why caregivers are my heroes.
-Erie Chapman
Journal of Sacred Work 
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