Check out this excerpt from "The Return of the Prodigal Son," by Henri Nouwen.
At issue here is the question: "To whom do I belong? To God or to the world?"...As long as I keep running about asking "Do you love me? Do you really love me?" I give all the power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with "ifs." The words says: "Yes, I love you IF you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you IF you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you IF you produce much, sell much, and buy much."
There are endless "ifs" hidden in the world's love. These "ifs" enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world's love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain "hooked" to the world - trying, failing, and trying again.
Prayer: Lord, let the doubts hidden behind the question "Do you love me?" disappear as we advance through this Advent. Strengthen us to observe lovingly your commandments and precepts. Let openness to your love be the watchword of our hearts. Amen.
Advent Action: Spend the day in a conscious effort to comprehend the fact that you are God's beloved. Banish the "ifs" - the conditions that bar our confidence in God's love.
I can't think of superficial/worldly love without thinking of this song. Feel free to enjoy or ignore:) I think Paul had some sort of head-tilt quota for this video.
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