Anne Taylor Robertson 9: The Problem of Pain

"God has paid us the intolerable compliment of loving us, in the deepest, most tragic, most inexorable sense." God has paid us the unbearable compliment of loving us, in the deepest, most tragic, most unstoppable sense.” Sometimes I like to look at phrases like these with synonyms of the key words. What does it mean to me that God has done this? What does it mean that it is unbearable? His love is a weight we are not suited to bear. That changes everything about the way in which we see love. His love is something that is powerful enough to crush us, but instead it is what gives us life. St. Augustine once said, “I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” We are destined to die under the weight of our sin, but God tells us to throw all of this sin onto His son; under whose love we buckle now. What a paradox.