Română
In this video recording, Fr. Rafail Noica, a disciple of St. Sophrony the Athonite, tells us how Divine Love surpasses the limits of human love. He answers the question “Does God get offended?” and shows us the real attributes of Divine Love.
Conference: “Din ce moarte ne-a izbavit Hristos?” December 15, 2005, Alba Iulia, Romania
Fr. Rafail Noica:
I dare to say one more thing: nothing is – paradoxically – more vulnerable than love. If God did not love, Love could not be hurt and God could not be hurt. Paradoxically, true, Divine Love is so intense, it is “consuming fire” [Hebrews 12:29] that burns without consuming. Why without consuming? Because God is immortal, and yet, at the same time, it is, as we say, in our language of psychology: vulnerable. In what sense is it “vulnerable”? It is subtle [delicate]. God grieves! And how does He grieve? He’s not offended. That’s heresy! God knows no anger, no offense; you can’t possibly offend God. We fools are offended, because if someone told me I’m a pig, I’m offended and become upset with him… but look in the mirror, maybe it’s not too flattering what you see there, but it’s definitely not a pig! So why do we get offended? We have weaknesses, we own death. God has no weakness, no death, and He doesn’t get angry, but He grieves for me. Why? Because with my sins, I deprive myself of His love and all that He wants to pour into me. What does He want to pour into me? Exactly the opposite of what the serpent said, that “God knows you will become as God.”
Wait, is that what God wants? To become like God? To become a god? And not in this “amateurish” way, but in a way, let’s call it “professional”. God teaches us in a professional manner how to reach Him, and if He could give us more than He is, He would give us more! That is Divine Love! Why dare I say He would give us more? Because Christ in His experience as a Man tells us: “Those who believe in Me, the works that I do shall they do also; and even greater than these shall they do; because I go unto the Father.” [John 14:12] Well, it looks like this is God’s “envy”… “lest we become like God”…
