The Pursuit

Whatever happened to the exhilaration of the pursuit?

Where the man would charge in, caring not whether he risk even his life in order to rescue and woo the woman he loves, and he would forever protect, cherish, and lavish her and she him.

The pursuit of Love. And the pursuit of that special one we will lavish with our love.

Is it our fear of rejection?
Is it our wavering belief that such a thing even can exist?
Is it our dwindling expectations for what love truly is?

But really whatever happened to the pursuit at all?

In today's world a relationship more often than not seems to consist of "hey you're cute, you're funny, let's hook up and see what happens." And so we bounce from person to person, hoping that maybe something will click or work out or whatever and we'll find happiness and the white picket fence blah blah blah.

And we call that a relationship? This is what is supposed to lead us to the Love that we so desperately desire?

I'm not going to even attempt to describe what a perfect pursuit looks like, one because I have no idea, and two because I've come to believe that really there is no such thing as one perfect pursuit, because Love works in different people in different ways.

But what I will emphatically stress is just how awesome the pursuit is. The implications it can have, the treasures that it holds.

Erwin McManus was in the Middle East discussing with some Muslims the history of Christianity as a religion, and the question was brought up of why it was necessary for God to become human.

"I once met a girl named Kim. I pursued her with my love and pursued her with my love until I felt my love had captured her heart. So I asked her to be my wife, and she did not say yes.
"I was unrelenting and asked her again, pursuing her with my love, and I pursued her with my love until she said yes.
"I did not send my brother, nor did I send a friend. for in issues of love, you must go yourself.
"This is the story of God: He pursues you with His love and pursues you with His love, and you have perhaps not said yes. And even if you reject His love, He pursues you ever still. It was not enough to send an angel or a prophet or any other, for in issues of love, you must go yourself. And so God has come.
"This is the story of Jesus, that God has walked among us and He pursues us with His love. He is very familiar with rejection but is undeterred. And He is here even now, still pursuing you with His love...
"In that moment the story of Jesus was not about who is right and who is wrong, what God's name is and who His prophet is, but what exactly God's motivation toward humanity is. If the message that God wants to get across to us is just about getting our beliefs right, then He didn't need to come Himself. If God's entire intent was to clarify right from wrong, no personal visitation was necessary. If the ultimate end was simply to overwhelm us with the miraculous so that we would finally believe, then God taking on flesh and blood and walking among us was far from necessary. There is only one reason for God to come Himself, because in issues of love, you just can't have someone else stand in for you."

What a spectacular thought and image to carry with us into this Christmas season! A what an incredible reminder that this remarkable season is yet another depiction of how awesome the discovery and illustration of Love is.

God pursues us with His love, and He pursues us and pursues us. And if we also are to discover Love and show Love, what better way to do so than to follow the example of the One who is Love. And so I urge you, do not forget the pursuit. In the pursuit we can find so much joy, and we can learn exactly what it will take to win over another with our love. We can even learn quite a bit about Love along the way. This is how we grow, how we build a relationship, a friendship, how we learn about that certain special someone and the awesome things Love is working in each of your lives, and maybe even has waiting for you to uncover together.

So don't be deterred by the fear of rejection...
In Song of Solomon 3, "Solomon is describing the desperation that comes when we seem unable to capture the heart of the one we love. I wonder if it ever occurs to us that God feels like this. But if God's love is immeasurable and unending, as the Hebrews describe Him, how deep and profound must be His sense of sorrow and rejection. If anyone know the pain of a love unreturned, it must be God." (Erwin McManus)

...or a wavering belief that such a thing even can exist or dwindling expectations for what love truly is, because really these things should not be a part of our pursuit of Love. Not with the knowledge and hope that we have in the One who is Love.

So can we contemplate our departure from the exhilaration of the pursuit, and realize just how much we are missing out on?
We have been chosen. We have been pursued. And so in return should we. For we have also been rescued, wooed, protected, and lavished. By Love.

Us. Those who never fail to be foolish, to be utterly idiotic, to destroy that which we care about most, to turn our backs on the most incredible of everything life has to offer, to fill ourselves with pointless desire. We never fail to fail. And despite knowing all this, despite knowing that He would be killed in one of the most of gruesome of manners mankind has ever conceived, that we would beat him, cut him, spit in his face and laugh all the while, relishing in our miserable and depraved state, He still came. We ran and He chased. We cursed Him and He shouted out ballads of his passion. And then the love of His life crushed that life from Him, and yet He didn't let even that stop him, it didn't even slow Him down in the slightest! And He just loved all the more. And He has not stopped. No matter how many times we kill Him, He will not stop. Period. End of story. That is the power of the love of God.

And so in return should we choose and pursue. Pursue others. And pursue Love.
"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19
And Merry Christmas!