Today I am thankful. I am thankful for a God who says “I love you” and not “I love you but…” You know what I mean…”I love you but your fat; I love you but you smell; I love you but you are lustful; I love you but you’re a gossip; I love you but you’re mean…” You get the point.

God says “I love you” – period.

I appreciate that about God because frankly there are a lot of buts in my life. So many conditions that could be hung on God’s love like coats on a coat rack.

I wonder why we struggle to say the same thing…I know I do. If I am not saying but, it is still there, unspoken, dying to get out. Why is that? We look at people and we say “I love you (long awkward pause) but that doesn’t mean I like you and what you do”. Seriously? What the heck does that mean? It’s kind of like a slap in the face after a kiss – it leaves one dazed and confused.

How often does the world hear these words from Christ? Do they hear “I love you” from those of us cloaked in his grace or do they hear our words and fears instead? “I love you…but you are evil and the only way to keep my love is to stop being evil.”

“I love you…but…you are sinful and the only way to keep my love is to stop being sinful.”

It is never that clear cut though – usually it is “I love you but I can’t let others know I love you because you have a very public sin. Yes I know that he steals, she gossips, he is a coveter but they keep that pretty quiet…you on the other hand…well we will have to meet in secret places. I hope you understand.”

These words do not sound like Christ to me. They sound very much like me.

How often does the world enter the sphere of the body of Christ and have the following from Luke 5 occur to them –

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

   Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

“I love you.”

“Get away from me Lord I am not worthy.”

“I love you.”

“Get away from me Lord I have sinned.”

“I love you.”

“But…”

“I love you.”

It is enough. That kind of love that Christ offered Peter…it was enough to cause him to abandon everything he knew, everything he loved to follow him…is this the kind of love the world is seeing? Is this the kind of compelling love the world is being offered?

Another story from Luke 15 –

“I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

The son returns home no less broken then when he left…moreso for the humiliation of it all. He returns only because he has nothing left and no doubt would have stayed away longer if he had money. He returns home and while the Father could have stood still on the homestead and let the son grovel as a great and silent “But” to his love he runs to the son. He meets him. He does not even appear to have listened or cared for the son’s words of unworthiness…he simply is overjoyed. This is love.

“I love you” shouted from far away.

“I love you” while running to his son.

“I love you” overwhelming all protests of unworthiness.

But, but, but, but…

“I love you…now let us feast and celebrate.”

That kind of love wears down even the most stubborn self-hatred. The kind of love with no buts.

My prayer for you and the world is that you find this. That you find it in God and you find it in the community God so graciously chose to be the visible manifestation of that love in the world. May this Thanksgiving bring you a love with no buts.