A Missing Child

To lose a child, even for a minute or two, is one of the most worrying things which can happen to a parent. I have for you here the true story of a couple whose child went missing for three awful days - awful for the parents, that is, because the child himself seems scarcely to be bothered.
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Every year it was the custom of Joseph and Mary to travel down to Jerusalem in order to keep the Feast of the Passover. Then, when their son reached the age of twelve years, he was permitted to go with them.
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At the end of a week full of celebration, Joseph and Mary joined the other pilgrims who were making their way back to Galilee. Unknown to them, however, their son stayed behind in the city.
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Believing that he was safely in the company of other members of their group, Joseph and Mary travelled northwards quite happily. Then, when evening came, they began to look for him among their friends and relations. Finally, having failed to find him, they abandoned the group and returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
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It was three frantic days later that they discovered the child, sitting with some teachers in the temple courts, listening to what they said and asking them questions. The people in the surrounding crowd were amazed by the level of understanding that he showed and the answers which he gave to questions put to him by the teachers. His parents were also astonished, seeing a side of their son’s nature they had never noticed before.
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At the first opportunity, they led him away from the temple and, once alone, began to ask him questions of their own.
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"My son," said Mary, "why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been looking all over Jerusalem for you."
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"Why?" he asked. "Didn't you realise that you’d find me in my Father's house?"
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But this answer of his made no sense to them. Shrugging their shoulders, Joseph and Mary began the long journey to Nazareth one again, this time making sure that they kept a tight hold of their child. At home, he remained quietly obedient to them. His mother, however, unable to forget these strange events, turned them over and over in her mind.
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Exile in Egypt

Exile is invariably an awful experience. No-one willingly leaves the land of their birth. It follows, therefore, that someone's personal circumstances have to be utterly dire before they'd even consider taking such a step. And this was the situation of Joseph and Mary, but neither of them knew it.
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It took something extraordinary to make Joseph realise what danger he and his family were in. After the Magi gone, taking an alternative route back to Persia, Joseph had a dream. In it he saw an angel.
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"Get up!" he said. "Take Mary and the baby, and flee with them to Egypt! Stay there till I tell you it's safe to return, for Herod will try to kill the child!"
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When Joseph awoke, he rose, wakened Mary, explained what had happened, picked up the baby, and then set out for Egypt while it was still dark.
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Meanwhile, in when the Magi failed to report back, King Herod realised that they had deceived him. Flying into a rage, he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem who were two years old or less, because he'd found out from the Magi that it was two years ago when the star had appeared. Thus was fulfilled the terrible prophecy of Jeremiah:
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"A voice is heard in nearby Ramah,
the sound of weeping and wailing.
It is Rachel, crying for her children,
and she will not be comforted,
because they're no longer alive."
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Joseph and Mary remained in Egypt until the news came that Herod had died, then Joseph had another dream. An angel appeared to him and said:
"Get up, take the child and his mother, and go back to where you have come from, for those who wished the child harm are now dead."
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Obeying the angel, Joseph set out on the long road to Palestine with the prophecy of Hosea in his mind:
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"Out of Egypt have I called my son."
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When they reached the border, Joseph learned that Archelaus had succeeded his father as king. Fearing further problems, he refused to enter Judea but turned north to the region of Galilee, and returned to live in Nazareth - which filled in with what Isaiah had said:
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"He shall be called a Nazarene."
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The Magi

Appointed as king by the Senate of Rome, Herod ruled Judea for thirty-three years, during which time he was very careful to ingratiate himself with his patrons. He built the city of Caesarea in honour of Augustus Caesar and the Fortress of Antonia in honour of Mark Anthony. As for opposition to his reign, he ruthlessly murdered anyone he saw as a threat, and that included his own wife and three of his sons.
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Then Magi rode into Jerusalem. These were members of the Persian priestly caste.
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"Where is the new-born king?" they asked. "We saw his star in the east and have come to pay our respects."
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When Herod heard this, he was worried and immediately called his priests and lawyers together.
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"I'm the king," he said "What are these idiots talking about?"
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"Of course you are," said the priests. "They probably refer to the Mahdi."
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"The Mahdi? When is he due to be born?"
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Nobody knows."
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"Then at least tell me where he'll be born."
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"In Bethlehem," they said, "because the prophet Micah wrote:
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"'But you, Bethlehem, though you're small,
you are by no means least amongst the clans of Judea.
It is out of you that a ruler shall come
who will be the shepherd of my people.'"
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Then Herod called the Magi to his palace secretly. Having found out from them the exact date on which the star appeared, he told them to go to Bethlehem.
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"Make a careful search for the child," he said. "Then, when you find him, tell me at once, because I too wish to honour him."
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The Magi agreed and left Herod. Travelling towards Bethlehem, the star they'd seen in the east went ahead of them until it halted over the place where the child was.
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Overjoyed, the Magi went into the house in which Mary and Joseph. Seeing the child with his mother, they fell on their knees and did obeisance to him. Then, taking out gifts, they offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh.
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That night a dream warned the Magi that it was best not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their homeland by an alternative route.
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Trust

We'd like to trust people - indeed, we want to trust them - but we know, deep down, that real trust needs to be earned. It's an unfortunate fact that some people will promise you anything in order to get what they want. Then, once they've got it, they quietly forget what they promised. But the people whom we admire, and ultimately come to rely on, are the ones who live up to their promises.
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Simeon had been given a promise. To everyone else it seemed unbelievable, but God had assured him, through the Holy Spirit, that he would see the Mahdi - the long-awaited redeemer - before he died. Years had passed, however, nothing seemed to have happened, and Simeon was tempted to doubt whether he'd really understood the message he'd been given.
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Then came a day when he felt a strange compulsion to go into the temple at Jerusalem. He obeyed the urge, and saw there a young married couple. It was Joseph and Mary, who had come up from Bethlehem to present their newborn son to the Lord. For the law required that the first-born boy in every family should be brought into the temple and two doves or young pigeons offered on his behalf.
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Before they'd got to the altar, Simeon ran to Mary, whisked the baby out of her arms and began to shout with excitement:
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"Sovereign Lord, now, as You promised,
You can dismiss Your servant in peace.
These eyes of mine have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared in the sight of all people,
to be a light bringing revelation to unbelievers
and giving glory to those who are faithful."
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Joseph and Mary just stared at the man, astounded by what he was saying. Simeon smiled at them, kissed the baby he was holding and handed him back.
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"This child of yours will bring about the rise and the downfall of many. Men will speak evil against him, thus revealing the secret thoughts of their hearts." He was quiet for a moment, gazing sadly at Mary. "And a sword shall also pierce you to the soul."
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The Trouble with Sheep

The trouble with sheep is that they're not very good at looking after themselves. Bulls, on the other hand, can be left in a field overnight and you can still come back the following morning expecting to find them. You couldn't possibly do the same thing with sheep. Short of horns, teeth and claws, wolves regard them as dinner on legs - which explains why the shepherds of Bethlehem needed to stay awake all night to protect them. And it was during one particular night that the shepherds received a surprise:
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An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of God shone around. Naturally, the shepherds were terrified, but the angel spoke to calm their fears.
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"Don't be afraid," he said. "I have news which should give you, and all those who hear it, the very greatest of joy. Today, in the city of David, a saviour who is the Mahdi has been born. And this is how you will recognise him: he's wrapped up in blankets and sleeping in a feeding trough."
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Suddenly, a great army of angels joined the first and all of them began to praise God, singing:
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"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will towards men."
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When the angels had left them and returned into heaven, the shepherds looked at each other.
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"We must go to Bethlehem," they said. "We need to see this wonderful thing which we have just heard about."
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Leaving their sheep in the field, they ran to the city and began to search for the baby. They eventually found him with Joseph and Mary, lying in a feeding trough, exactly as the angel had predicted. Overcome with emotion, the shepherds rushed into the inn, woke up the guests and told them everything that they'd heard about the child. The guests were bewildered by what they said, but Mary treasured each one of their words and pondered them deep in her heart.
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A Difficult Decision

Sometimes life seems to be nothing more than a continual series of choices - and often they can be extremely difficult. Take, for example, the one which Joseph was forced to make:
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He was engaged to be married to Mary, but some time before the wedding he learned that she was pregnant. Horrified by this revelation, Joseph immediately resolved to end the engagement but, being a fair man, he decided to do it discreetly, so that Mary wouldn't be subjected to public disgrace.
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He was thinking about this dreadful situation when he went to bed and fell asleep. In his sleep he dreamt that someone - an angel - came to him with a message from God.
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"Joseph," said the angel, "don’t be afraid to take Mary for your wife. The child who is within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary is going to birth to a boy who will to rescue his people from sin. This will be a fulfilment of the promise which the Lord gave through the prophet Isaiah: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel."
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When Joseph woke up, he did exactly as the angel had said and took Mary home as his wife, but he avoided sexual relations with her until after the baby was born.
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It was during this period, while they were still waiting for the baby to arrive, that Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be made of the whole Roman Empire. Everyone was instructed to go to their ancestral home in order to registered, so Joseph and Mary left Nazareth and travelled south to Bethlehem, the city of David, because Joseph was a direct descendent of David.
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They were still in Bethlehem when the time came for the baby to be born. Mary gave birth to a boy and because there wasn't enough room in the inn she had to wrap him in blankets and lay him to sleep in a feeding trough which had been previously used by the animals.
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Choosing a Name

Choosing a name is easy. I mean, it must be ... mustn't it? What could be simpler than picking a name for a baby? You just choose a name that you like, don't you? I, for example, favour the name Gladys and would probably choose that at once. Or perhaps not, if the child was a boy.
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I know! Let's go for a fashionable name - one that a celebrity has chosen. The trouble is, will what's fashionable today still be fashionable tomorrow? Probably not or, by definition, it wouldn't be fashion. Perhaps I should choose a name that's already used in the family. I have sixteen uncles called Dawud, so that's a name which will find quick approval. On the other hand, it might lead to more confusion than we have at present.
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Perhaps it would be better to go for a name with some meaning. I know that Basil signifies brave, but the baby might grow up to be careful and cautious, and then I'd look foolish. No, choosing a name isn't as easy as it seems!
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But I'm not the only one with difficulties in this area. Do you remember me telling you about a woman called Elizabeth? She was the person who, in her old age, became pregnant for the very first time. Well, she gave birth to a boy, and all her neighbours and relatives came to visit her and the baby, because they wanted to share in her happiness.
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On the eighth day after the birth, the family's friends and relations were gathered together in Elizabeth's house for the ceremony of circumcision, at which everyone expected the boy would be named Zechariah, the same as his father.
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"No," said Elizabeth, "we're going to call him John."
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"But you can’t call him that,” said the relatives. "There's nobody in the family with that name.”
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They turned to Zechariah, who'd been silent ever since he'd encountered an angel, and asked him what he wanted to call the baby. Zechariah indicated that he needed a writing tablet and, once one was brought to him, astonished them all by writing upon it, "His name is John."
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Suddenly, Zechariah's tongue was released. Recovering the power of speech, he began to glorify God:
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"I will praise the Lord God," he said,
"because He's come down to ransom His people.
He has raised up a sign of salvation
in the house of His great servant David.
He told us long ago, by the mouth of His prophets,
that He would save us from all our enemies
and the power of the people who hate us.
He said He would show mercy unto our forefathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
the oath that He promised to Abraham,
that He would rescue us from our adversaries
so that we can then serve Him fearlessly
in truth and honesty for the rest of our lives.
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"And you, my son, shall be called a prophet of God,
for you will go before the Lord to clear a straight path ahead of Him,
to show His people the way of salvation
which comes from the forgiveness of sin,
because of the mercy of God.
This rising Sun will bring light from heaven
for all who suffer in darkness and the desperate shadow of death,
and will guide our feet along the bright path of peace."
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Zechariah's listeners were awestruck and, when on leaving the house, spread the news of these strange events throughout the surrounding countryside. Everyone who heard the reports was amazed and pondered their significance.
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"What will this child once he grows up," they asked each other, "because it's clear that the Lord has His hand on him."
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As it was, John grew up to be a great man of courage, but he lived in the desert until it was time to teach openly.
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The Messenger

I'm waiting for the mail to arrive. It's not that we're expecting anything special, nor that we get pleasant surprises every day, but I always look forward to a delivery. I think it's because someone has taken the time and the trouble to write.
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I mean, it's not quick and easy, is it? First they have to stop whatever it is that they're doing and sit down to think of something interesting to say. Then they have to find a way of phrasing their message so I can understand it - and that may not be easy! Finally, they have to pay the price of a stamp and entrust their letter to the Post Office. Clearly, someone has to feel they've got something worth saying before they bother to write.
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And that leads on to the following question: how does God communicate with us? Some may deny that He communicates with us at all, but the evidence points to the contrary. It appears that He communicates with us in a variety of ways, generally by those means which are best suited to the needs of the recipient. I can demonstrate this very simply with the following example:
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Six months after Elizabeth became pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman by the name of Mary. She was Elizabeth's cousin and lived in Nazareth, a town in the region of Galilee. Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph, a man who was directly descended from David.
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"Greetings, O favoured one! The Lord is with you," said Gabriel, "and blessed are you amongst women."
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Mary was terrified, never having been addressed in such a manner before.
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"Don't be afraid," said the angel. "You have found favour with God. You're going to have a baby, Mary, and he will become a very great man. He'll be known as the son of the highest, and God will give him the throne of King David. He will reign over the House Jacob for ever and his kingdom won't have any end."
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"But how can this happen," asked Mary, "seeing that I'm still a virgin?"
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"The Holy Spirit will come upon you," said the angel. "The power of the Almighty will overshadow you, thus the one to be born will be holy. What's more, Elizabeth your cousin is also going to have a child, even in her old age. She who was thought to be barren is already in the sixth month of her pregnancy, for nothing's too hard for the Lord."
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Mary bowed her head.
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"I am God's servant," she said. "Let it be as you've promised."
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Then Gabriel left her.
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Isn't it Strange?

Isn't it strange how some people have more children than they can possibly manage, while others, many of whom would make excellent parents, are quite unable to have them. I'm thinking today of one woman in particular, who went by the name of Elizabeth. Let me tell you about her.
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She was descended from a long line of priests, as was her husband Zechariah, and she lived with him in a village which lay to the south of Jerusalem. Though Zechariah had plenty of business to keep him occupied, he was also on the rota of those who might be called at any time to serve in the temple.
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One day, when it was the turn of his division to be on duty and he had been chosen to offer incense on the beautiful altar of gold, Zechariah made his way into the temple. The other worshippers and priests, however, remained outside to pray. Suddenly, an angel appeared on the right-hand side of the altar.
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"Don't be alarmed, Zechariah," he said. "Your prayers have been answered and Elizabeth is going to have a son. Call his name John. He's going to give you both much joy and happiness. Indeed, he'll bring happiness to a great many people because he's going to be a mighty prophet of God. Don't let him drink wine or any form of alcohol, for he's to be filled with the Holy Spirit right from his birth. He will go before the Lord with the same power as Elijah, teaching the fathers to take care of their children, making the rebels to come to their senses, and fitting the people for God."
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"But how can this be possible?" demanded Zechariah. "Both my wife and I are too old to have children."
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"I am Gabriel," said the angel, "and I stand in the presence of God. I've been sent here to give you good news and now, because you've doubted me, you'll be silent until this promise is fulfilled."
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Meanwhile, the people left waiting outside the temple were wondering why Zechariah was taking so long. Then, when he did emerge, he was quite unable to speak to them. From his gestures, however, they deduced that he'd just seen a vision.
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Once his period of service was complete, Zechariah returned to his village and Elizabeth did indeed become pregnant. She was shy, though, and kept herself hidden from sight.
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"The Lord has done this," she said to herself. "He's blessed me and taken away the reproach of my neighbours."
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Doves and Sparrows

I look out of my window onto a sunlit street. Spring is in the air and the trees are full of sparrows chasing each other through the branches. High above the, sitting quietly on the rooftops, are the doves, which watch all that's going on, but don't get involved. The most they seem to do is nod and bow politely to their friends.
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David, the well-known giant killer, when he was hiding from the wrath of Saul, used to peer out of the cave, see the doves and envy their liberty. He wrote:
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"My heart is in anguish within me,
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling find me,
and awful horror overwhelms.
O that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
yes, I would wander afar;
I would make my home in the wilderness,
in a shelter from this raging wind and tempest."
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David was trapped, just as we might be trapped by our circumstances, but he was not forgotten.
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The wandering teacher, unlike David, didn't say much about doves. He did, however, draw us a lesson from the sparrows.
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"Sparrows," he said, "are so common that two are sold in the market for a penny, yet none of them falls to the ground unless it's the will of your Father. So there is nothing for you to worry about because your Father values you more than any number of sparrows."
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These words, I hope, will give reassurance and courage to us all.

Where Do Wars Come From?

I am by no means the first person to ask this question. A man called James said precisely the same thing many years ago.
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"What causes wars?” he wrote to some of his friends. “What causes all the fighting I see amongst you?”
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And then he tried to answer his own question.
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“Isn’t it because your passions are at war within your members? You desire and do not have, so you kill to get it. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask God. Or you do ask, but do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
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"Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Do you suppose it is in vain that the holy book says: 'He yearns jealously over the spirit which He has made to dwell in us'?
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"But God gives yet more grace. The holy book also says: ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’
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"Therefore you must submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you men of double standards. Be wretched, mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to sorrow and your joy to dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you."
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It seems to me that we could - and we should - learn a lot from the teaching of James. May God in His mercy help us do so.
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Upside Down

The teacher I remember best is the one who threw the blackboard rubber (a vicious weapon, made of wood and felt) at us if he thought we weren't paying sufficient attention. As to what he taught us - apart from the obvious lesson of ducking very quickly, I can't remember learning anything else from him.
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Some teachers are good, some mediocre, and others would spend their time a lot more profitably if they stuck to digging holes in the ground. I would like now to share with you what I know about one particular teacher.
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He was what you might call a wandering teacher, because he never stayed in one place more than a few days. He liked to keep on the move and anyone who wanted to be his student left home in order to travel with him.
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One day he climbed halfway up a mountain and took his seat on a rock. His students threw themselves down on the ground round about him. He looked at them for a moment, then, with just a few words, turned their world upside down.
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"Happy are the poor in spirit," he said, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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"Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
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"Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
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"Happy are those who hunger and thirst for what is right, for they shall be satisfied.
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"Happy are the merciful, for they shall be treated with mercy.
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"Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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"Happy are those who make peace, for they shall be called the children of God.
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"Happy are those who are persecuted for doing that which is right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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"Happy are you when men revile you, persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. It was in just such a way that people persecuted the prophets who lived long before you.
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"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavour how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trodden under foot.
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"You are the light of the world. A city which is built on a hill cannot be hidden, can it? And a lamp is not lit then put under a bowl, is it? No, it is put on a lamp stand so it can give light to the whole house. Let your light shine, then, that people may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
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A Confession

Few come out and actually say, "I am right and everybody else is wrong," but I know an awful a lot of people who quietly think it.
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And I have to admit that, given half a chance, I think it, too. I suppose it's the way I was brought up. Many of the people I've lived among have automatically assumed that what they believe is correct and everything else is mistaken. So I tend to think the same way.
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I'm basically intolerant. It's nothing to do with age - I haven't grown more intolerant as I've got older - because I've always had this tendency.
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Of course, I must seriously consider the possibility that I am right and everyone else is wrong. Let's think about that for a moment....
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Not very likely, is it? Here I am, sitting in the library and reading a book. Across the table is another guy - let's call him Gordon - who's sitting there and reading a newspaper. And while I'm saying to myself, "I'm right and everybody else including Gordon is wrong," Gordon may be thinking, "I'm right and everybody else including Sami is wrong." And, to be realistic, the odds in my favour are no more than fifty-fifty.
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It's very hard for me, but I have to do two things:
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First, I have to make sure that what I believe is reasonable. That is, my beliefs must be capable of standing up to fair and honest criticism. If they can't, however much I like them, I need to change them for some that can.
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Secondly, I have to give permission for other people to hold different opinions to me. What does it matter if someone's theology is not perfectly correct? It might even be - shock, horror - that my theology is not perfectly correct! Is God diminished by this? Is He offended in any way? Do we see Him constantly striking down unbelievers - or imperfect believers - with lightning bolts? No, I don't think that we do. Instead, He's patient and grants them opportunities to learn the truth. And that's what we should do, too.
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Ultimately, of course, we will all go to a place where our theology's corrected. And then we'll know everything, won't we? Till then - God bless us all.
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Know Your Rights

Durrah has sent an e-mail to us. Her friend Walidah was rushed into hospital. She's very seriously ill. I'm not sure about the details but, for a while, she was in intensive care. The doctors operated on her last week and Durrah said that, initially, they were pleased with the outcome, but Walidah's still in hospital and though she's no longer in intensive care, she's still on a ventilator and has a tracheotomy. There are also concerns about her wound, which is still oozing blood, and fears about a possible infection.
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At the end of her e-mail, Durrah asked all of her friends to pray for Walidah. Naturally, I replied saying that I would. I also told Durrah that I would pass the news on to Leila and was sure that she'd pray too.
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It's a wonderful privilege to be able to pray for someone. We are encouraged to do so whenever and wherever it's necessary. Indeed, the prophet Samuel said that it would be a sin against God if he didn't pray for people:
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"As for me," he said, "far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you."
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You see - let's be perfectly clear about this - it's your right to pray for others. Don't be shy. And don't miss this opportunity. You can't even say that you won't because you're no good at it. It's not a competitive sport and - fortunately for both you and me - God is just as happy to hear from us as He is from anybody else.
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But maybe you don't know how prayer actually works.... Join the club! There's no-one on earth who knows how it works. You can't tell God anything that He doesn't know already. Nor can you get Him to change His mind. All we know is that He likes to hear from us; just as a father likes to hear his children speak to him. Don't know what to say? Do the obvious thing and simply tell Him about anything that worries you.
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You don't even have to speak aloud. God - because He is God - can hear what you think. That means you can tell Him whatever you like wherever you are. But, if you still don't know what to say, write it down, like a letter, and then read it.
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This, for example, is what I'm praying for Walidah:
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Dear God,
Thank you that Walidah's operation seemed to go well, but she's still suffering pain. Please make her better. Please heal that wound which was the result of the surgery. Give wisdom to the doctors and nurses, and guide them how to look after her best.
Be with Durrah and keep her calm through all these trials. Thank you that she's been such a good friend to Walidah. Please bless and keep both of these women, and may they know the comfort of Your presence with them.
Amen.
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Let me repeat, though, that it's entirely up to you how you pray. Standing, kneeling, lying down - silently or aloud - all are correct, so long as it comes from the heart.
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Now may the God Who loves to hear from you and me bless us and keep us safe until we meet here again.
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Most Important

You and I are down here, but God is up there, far away, and you might not think there's any connection - but just listen to what the prophet Jeremiah once said.
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"The Lord appeared to me from afar, saying,
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'I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with loving-kindness.'"
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And, no, it isn't just Jeremiah that God loves. The prophet Moses said:
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"The Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers."
See? God loves you!
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I'll write that again, this time in capital letters because it's so important:

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GOD LOVES YOU

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Great! Wonderful! Just let that sink in! It's something you can write on a piece of paper and stick to your mirror so you see it every day.
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But let's not forget that He also loves that man who lives down the road. You know ... the one who we don’t like very much. Surprisingly - or, perhaps, unsurprisingly - He loves that man as much as He loves you and me; no more, of course, but no less either. It makes you think - at least, it makes me think....
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But what exactly does it make me think? Firstly, that I am greatly blessed. Secondly, that I should treat the man down the road a good deal better because, even if I don't love him, God certainly does. God made him; God wants him; God loves him. Why? Because God is love!
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There, that's something else which needs writing in capitals - so here it is again:
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GOD IS LOVE

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So much to take in, so little time. Let's pause a moment now and just meditate....
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God bless you and keep you - until we next meet.
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