Rooted in Love – Together

This year I learned to love Jesus more by better understanding that it is in community that we understand God’s great love for us.  I was spending a day of prayer and vision with the Lord when I read these verses in Ephesians 3. 

Although not an artist, I immediately drew what the verses were describing to me:

• That Christ would dwell in my heart through faith (the cross carved into the heart on the tree)

• Being rooted and grounded in love – the tree is rooted and grounded in love – and God is love and the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge surrounds the whole

• Strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being – the tree trunk is a viaduct for the Spirit to flow all the way from the roots to produce beauty and fruit

• To comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love (the outstretched branches and roots) 

• Filled with all the fullness of God – the lines radiating out

But, after I had drawn the picture and felt satisfied, I realized how inadequate my picture was – I had missed capturing that the love of Christ is known collectively – it is my branches and your branches together crossing the expanse of God’s love that help us to comprehend his great love – all of the you verbs in this passage are plural! Paul’s prayer is for us to comprehend with all of the saints; God is known best as we experience him together in community.

My prayer for this year is we are all rooted and grounded in the love of Christ and together we know more truly than ever before the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love.

Key Quotation

The love of Christ is known collectively – it is my branches and your branches together crossing the expanse of God’s love that help us to comprehend his great love – all of the you verbs in this passage are plural!

Becky Martin, TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission)