When Love Does not Reach Us

Rembrandt, Return of the Prodigal Son

“Love is transformational only when it is received in vulnerability.”

Reading this observation from David Benner helped me see why I lived so long in fear and mistrust:

“It seems that the experience of love—even God’s love—does not always have transforming consequences. It is important to understand why this is the case if we are to allow ourselves to meet divine love in ways that lead to genuine change.

“Love is transformational only when it is received in vulnerability.

“It is not the fact of being loved unconditionally that is life-changing. It is the risky experience of allowing myself to be loved unconditionally.”

David Benner, Surrender to Love, 76