Steadfast Love

Two years ago, I was given the following assignment for a paper:
Choose one of the characteristics of God's personality: anger, compassion, grace, love, jealousy, justice, mercy, patience, pity. Imagine in very concrete detail how this characteristic would appear in your life if you were as perfect as God created you to be.

The characteristic of God that I imagined lived out perfectly was “steadfast love.” (Psalm 118, ESV) As I thought of this characteristic, I kept thinking of a scene in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. [I’ll be honest; I’m thinking of the musical more than the book. It’s a glorious musical but a pretty tough read. You can watch the scene here.] The main character, Jean Valjean, has just been released from prison, where he served a nineteen year sentence for theft. Out of prison and desperate to begin a new life, Valjean trudges for miles trying to find lodging and employment. He is met with nothing but contempt from everyone he meets because he is marked as a convict. With every step and every suspicious glance, Valjean becomes more embittered and more convinced he has to choose between morality and survival.

Eventually, however, a bishop takes pity on him, and brings Valjean into his home, treating him as an honored guest. Despite this kind treatment from the bishop, Valjean believes he will never be able to earn his way in life honestly, and the bishop’s home is filled with valuable items. As the bishop sleeps, Valjean steals some of the his silverware and runs out into the night. The police catch him quickly and bring him back to the bishop. Valjean, his head bowed in despair, expects wrath and judgment from the bishop; the man treated him kindly and was robbed in return. Yet the bishop responds to the sight of Valjean in an astonishing way. He tells the police that he gave Valjean the silverware as a gift, and then gently rebukes Valjean for leaving the most valuable gift behind: a pair of ornate silver candlesticks. This moment is a turning point in Valjean’s life—he goes on to become a prosperous businessman, a giving and upstanding contributor to society. He changes from a man who asks “what this new world will do for me” to one who risks his life several times over for others.

In the paper, I wrote, “If I were as perfect as God created me to be, I would act like this bishop, though to an even greater degree. I would go out to prisons and convict rehabilitation centers and invite felons into my home. I would feed them, clothe them, house them, and lavish gifts upon them. If they stole from me, I would hand them even more valuable things to take. And I would do this every minute of every day. That would be extraordinary, but I know that there are people who do this kind of thing and have powerful prison ministries that transform lives. Yet if the characteristic of steadfast love were really and truly as perfect in me as God dreamed when He created me, then I would do all these things without one millisecond of complaint, of judgment, of scorn, of personal pride. More than that, I would do all these things with a spirit of overwhelming love; I would fully delight in these people, even as they stole from me or treated me with contempt. I would give my life to help them, even though I knew they would not all accept that help, and I would do it with complete and utter joy.”

Two years later, I stand committed to a calling that is not so far from the one I described above. I am committing to feed, clothe, house, and above all love children who have been far more wronged and mistreated than Valjean. This commitment has nothing to do with my efforts or abilities. God, in His mercy and steadfast love, shared a small portion of His passion for orphan care with me. He enabled my eyes to see the pain in the world; He strengthened my confidence to the point of saying “yes, I will help;” He sustains me with His word, His Spirit, and His power to set one foot in front of the other on what will be an increasingly difficult path; He gracefully reminds me that my tiny part in His restoring work on earth is a privilege; He humbles me whenever I start thinking it’s up to me to save the world.

God took me in when I was wicked and wretched. Filled with sin and rebellion, I resisted His unfailing love and refused to acknowledge (much less thank) Him for the untold blessings He poured out on me. He rescued me from sin and wrath, bled and died and fought to adopt me into His family for eternity.

Through adoption/foster care/global orphan care, God invites us to show just a fraction of that powerful, steadfast love to those who desperately need it. I pray that God would empower us do all these things with His spirit of overwhelming love; to fully delight in these children, even as they run from us, steal from us, or treat us with contempt. I pray we will enter each moment willing to give our lives to help them, knowing they may not always accept that help. I pray that we may do all this with complete and utter joy, humbly aware of the pit out of which we have been rescued, and the price it cost our Savior to bring us home.