
Love bears all.
– 1 Corinthians 13:7
So, this brings me to another parable that I think is important for us to understand the intimacy and what’s involved in this determination of the divine will…to bring everyone into the dance, to provide everyone with a share at the great banquet where they can eat the mature food of infinite light, life, love and the happiness without end that belongs to those kinds of divine activities. And this is the Parable of the Great Banquet.
…And here is what Jesus reveals about God: He doesn’t have any honor that he cares about. He doesn’t give a hoot about being a member of the peer group. And, as Jesus manifested in his own conduct, he wants to identify with every human being, just as they are… The meaning of eating with people in that particular culture was extremely significant.
…So what, then, does this parable say about who God is? God doesn’t care about honor. He’s interested in love, as we saw. And he’s interested in anyone at all who’s willing to accept that invitation… Anyone. That means everyone is invited.
-Thomas Keating, from the Session 83 video
In this session’s video Fr. Thomas goes on to explain that the sheer gratuity of the invitation is the meaning of the Incarnation. Further, this invitation is a window into the human condition that changes – or could change – the whole way that we look at other people or understand ourselves and life’s journey, for by being born we’ve entered the spiritual journey. There isn’t any other choice.
Love bears all,
includes all,
redeems all,
invites all.
Love never fails.
To Practice
- View the video excerpt “The Great Banquet: All are Invited” from the DVD series: Invitation from God which is about 6 minutes in length.
- Take in: Love bears all. How have you been called to trust this?