How can I love someone that I do not truly know or understand?

When asked what was the most important commandment, Jesus gave an answer most pertinent.

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31, ESV)

Would God command what is impossible? If loving Him is uppermost in His desire for us, would he not provide us everything necessary for realizing this?

Such a loving relationship with God is not formed instantly. As with human friendships, it grows over time, or withers through neglect. The Lord provides many supports to us. If we avail ourselves of them, our love for Him will grow.

I am not wise enough to list all these supports, but here are some:

1. Other believers who share things about how they cultivate their relationship with God.
2. The Holy Spirit, which by residing inside us can speak to the deepest parts of our soul.
3. The Bible, which gives both factual information about Jesus and tips on how to make practical use of that knowledge.
4. Miracles, which are tangible, physical demonstrations of God’s care.
5. The gifts of repentance and forgiveness, which repair the breach in our friendship and restore open communications.
6. Journals and memories. When we recall things that God did for us in the past, our gratitude rises up again.
7. The Sacraments, like communion, confession, and Baptism
8. Prayer and other forms of communication.

Communication is key. The book of Job lists many ways in which God communicates with us and we with him. Some are always available while others are special channels initiated by God. However, even those means that we cannot employ by our own unaided will can be requested. Job cried out in great distress for God to appear and speak to him face to face, and in the end, God showed up. Here are some of the means found in Job:

1. Prayer
2. Worship in song and silence
3. Listening to wise elders
4. Observing God’s glory in nature
5. Reading the Word of God
6. Fasting
7. Offering sacrifices
8. Serving others
9. Suffering
10. Dreams
11. Visions
12. Miracles
13. Angelic visitation
14. Theophany or Christophany

Means not mentioned in Job that are practiced by some Christians but questioned by others are:

1. Veneration of Jesus, Mary and the saints via the mediation of icons
2. Visitations by the Blessed Virgin Mary
3. Practicing the presence of God, a mystical union, an interpretation of what is meant to abide in Christ or be connected to the vine via contemplation
4. The Beatific vision

Earlier I said that we can pray to God to reach out to us in an unusual way, a direct and miraculous way. He is not obligated to do so, but delights in showing himself to those who seek him earnestly. A decade ago I undertook a fast. For three years I prayed and fasted every Monday with a single prayer, “Lord, show me your glory.” How did God respond? Not with a dream or vision or miracle or visitation. Instead, the Lord magnified my ability to understand the Bible and greatly increased my desire to read it. The parameters of his care are decided by Him.

Last summer, reflecting on all the ways that God can communicate with us, I fixated upon angelic visitation. I had never seen an angel and know nobody who has. Angels had never been a topic of great interest to me. For some reason I chose to pray this: “Lord, I know you do nothing gratuitously, but if I should ever find myself in a situation where only an angel can help me, please send an angel.” It was an unusual prayer and I would never have given it another thought until I fell through the ice in December while skating, broke my arm and spent 25 minutes in freezing water. God sent a human angel, a woman with the fire department on a sledge, and she rescued me. Erica Poitras was the angel, which means messenger, to deliver God’s grace to me.

That was not the only angel he sent, though. Days later, while waiting for the day of my surgery, which would require a plate and seven screws to repair the damage, I lay on the couch in severe pain, unable to sleep. The pain medication did nothing. My arm was still dislocated. The delay for surgery was because of a lapse in my health insurance. My new insurance would not kick in until January. I lay on my back, praising the Father for saving my life, but wincing in agony. All of a sudden, I saw a vision of a woman’s face. Without a word, she pulled me close and hugged me. The pain left me immediately and would not return for at least five hours. For the next hour, despite being exhausted, I was filled with a joyful spirit of intercession and prayed for family, friends, church and community. Then I slept.

The woman never spoke a word, but I know whom Jesus sent. He sent his mother Mary to comfort me, and I was comforted. God answered my prayer from last summer. He did more than I could ask or imagine. I would never have asked Jesus to send Mary, because I am a Baptist!

Be bold and persistent in your prayers. You never know what God will do. And that is how your love for God will grow.