I’m always suspicious of the “God is love” platitude. It’s not that I disagree with the statement; in fact, I rely on the truth of it day in and day out. Rather, I dislike when “God is love” is used to dismiss or silence one’s struggles. A glib “God is love” can translate into “What petty problems! If only you were good enough, faithful enough, strong enough to believe in God.”

Today’s reflection calls us to a truer understanding of the words “God is love.” We are invited to think about how God’s love is not a static statement of the obvious but rather a dynamic force in our life. “God is love” means that God cares deeply about our struggles and our joys. “God is love” means that God is with us for the long haul with a love that is “unconditional and transforming" and that spills over our whole being.

If ever you are tempted to lob a "God is love” statement into another person’s struggle or your own, consider instead ways that you can be a dynamic force of God’s love right here and now.