Does “for better or for worse” mean anything in the age of “prenuptial agreements?”

Whatever the answer, many would still agree that “for better or worse” means… even if only at the moment the couple exchange vows to each other.

Let’s ask that question about God’s love for us. I ask the question because it tells a lot about the vow God has made to us. More importantly, It raises questions about how we view God and treat the “others” in our lives.

“Till death do us part”

The God of the bible did not make a contract with us. “I will do this only if you do that.” (transaction). God simply declares “I will be your God.”  The Bible uses the ancient language of a covenant, a kind of marital no-strings-attached commitment.

God did not need to create us. Yet God creates us to share the fullness of eternal life.

Our history

Our history from the days of the Garden shows that God remains our God through even the worst of times with us. Sadly, the Chosen people over and over wavered in their grateful acceptance of God’s gift.

They also forgot their mission to be a light to all peoples. God meant them to model treating other peoples as God treated them.

Rather, they became like children who as they grow up think they know more than the parents who want the best for their children.

Somewhere along the line, we lost sight of God’s promise “I will be your God.” God kept sending them prophets to remind them that God keeps the promise to be their God and partner in life.

The word of God took flesh, “put skin in the game.”

Not only did Jesus remind us of the “good news” that God was true to his word “in good times and in bad. Jesus acted out God’s fidelity to love us even in the worst of times.

The Word’s rejection, suffering, and agonizing death embodied the worst of our human capacities.

In the midst of all of his suffering on Good Friday, he shows us a mother’s response of loving forgiveness. “Father, forgive them. They don’t understand.” God really means I will be your God in good times and in bad.

Jesus’ sufferings are not the fulfillment of a contract with an angry ruler. They are the most powerful reminder possible that God continues to love us even when we are at our adolescent worst.

Jesus‘ response to bad times in our relationship with God also shows us how we are to continue the mission of Word made flesh.

God continually invites us to return

Jesus invites us to “do this in memory of him.” We are to be good news even to our enemies and those who jest us.

We are to be the Forgiving Father in the parable we somewhat mistakenly call the Prodigal Son. It is about being the Forgiving Father who is faithful to his son no matter how the son disrespected him and broke his heart.

The son thought in terms of a contract. The father thought in terms of a covenant.

Back to Holy Thursday!

We come full circle. Wash one another’s feet as I have washed your feet!

There is  an “acid test” of being faithful to being God’s people in “good times and bad.” It is loving our enemies and those who we think are “other “

Remember Jesus’ story about the person who had been forgiven a great debt but was not forgiving of someone who owed him something lesser.

When and how have I been the unforgiving debtor with my “enemies?“

Originally posted on Vincentian Mindwalk