As we get closer to Holy Week the gospel turns to talk of the “Son of Man” and the world that is created for us. In an attempt to demonstrate love and forgiveness, God’s only Son – the Word made Flesh – is sent into the world to lead the people from darkness to light; not to condemn the world but save it. 

Think for a moment of the last time you saw or heard a reference to God on a television program, in a song, or some other popular medium. Chances are, the reference was one of a judging, vengeful, punishing God. This sort of image plays particularly well with a modern audience. It’s easier to dismiss God as irrelevant if we can paint God in that sort of image. TV sitcoms do it particularly well with thunderclaps, bolts of lightning and booming, disapproving voices from above. It’s much harder to dismiss a God of love who will go to extremes to demonstrate that love.

God created a path for us beforehand, so that we might walk on it. Do you think God created a very specific path for each individual? Or do you think God created a very general path of goodness so that each individual might find his or her own way to walk?