Commentary on the Gospel of

Bible Diary - CMF

 

The name of God is the presence, the essence of God:   God’s holiness.  “Holiness” translates the Hebrew word kadosh.  It meant ‘separate,’ transcendent’.  God’s holiness means God’s separation and distance ‘above’ creation.  It may seem strange that there is no hint here of love!  We Christians want to rush in with “God is love!”  But Wait…!  What we call ‘love’ can all too easily be just narcissism.  We may think we love another (or God) and in reality we may only love a flattering image of ourselves in that person.  It is like looking in a magic mirror that improves your appearance.  But ‘holiness’ is the ‘otherness’ of the other, his or her mystery.  We are to love others (and God) not as projections of our own ego, but in their otherness.  While there is still an ego there, there is no love; the ego doesn’t know how to love.

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