Gilead and a Parent's Love

Another beautiful point, beautifully made from Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead (p. 136):

"...your mother could not love you more or take greater pride in you. She has watched every moment of your life, almost, and she loves you as God does, to the marrow of your bones. So that is the honoring of a child. You see how it is godlike to love the being of someone. Your existence is a delight to us. I hope you never have to long for a child as I did, but oh, what a splendid thing it has been that you came finally, and what a blessing to enjoy you now for almost seven years."

I suppose only a parent can truly understand this kind of love, or at least its depth. I thought I understood it before I had children, but I did not. Regardless, the point is that it is indeed a reflection of godlike love when, as parents, we love the very existence of our children.

This kind of love is illustrated in a conversation that I’ve had countless times with my children. It goes like this:

Me: “Do you know how much I love you?”

Child: “A million times a billion.” (Truth be told, I love them even more than that, but let’s not quibble over numbers.)

Me: “And do you know why I love you?”

Child: “Because I am your child.”

Me: “How long will you be my child?”

Child: “Forever.”

Me: “So how long will I love you?

Child: “Forever.”

Me: “What if you behave really badly and I get angry?”

Child: “Forever.”

Me: “What if you say or do really mean things to me?”

Child: “Forever.”

Me: “What if you don’t even like me any more?”

Child: “Forever.”

Me: “So how long will I love you?”

Child: “Forever.”

Me: “That’s right. No matter what, you’ll always be my child, so I will always love you. Forever.”

What I am trying to do in this conversation is twofold. Obviously, I am trying to instill in my children a confidence in the steadfastness of my love for them. They can be confident that no matter what, they will not lose the love of their father.

Secondly though, I am trying to model to them the love of God. I am setting before them a pattern of godly love so that they might know that the love of their heavenly father (like the love of their earthly father) is not conditioned upon what they do.

This is the very core of the gospel. God loves us not because we have somehow earned his love, but because, by his grace, he has adopted us in Christ Jesus to be his children. As such we can be confident in his steadfast love, because it is not on account of anything we do, but rather only and always because of what Christ has done.