reading

i've been reading stanley grenz's theology for the community of God recently and, as others have noted before me, it is fantastic. grenz could have also called this book theology of the community of god, for his teaching concerning the nature of and the interaction within the Trinity not only enables us to fathom the Triune God, but also empowers us to incarnate God's sacrificial love among and for one another. the following quote touches on a couple of things i've long suspected about God. it also challenges me to live out this kenotic or self-sacrificing life i often talk about.

"helpful in understanding the theological significance of the biblical assertion "God is love" is hegel's concept of the essence of "person." to be person, he asserted, means to be in self dedication to another. this application to the triune God follows, one which in embryonic form may date back to athanasius. the divine unity is compromised by the reciprocal self-dedication among the trinitarian members.* this corresponds to the new testament concept of agape, which may be defined as the giving of oneself for the other. consequently, the assertion that love forms the foundation of the unity in the one God opens a window on the divine reality. the unity of God is nothing less than the self-dedication of the trinitarian persons to each other. indeed, God is love - the divine essence is the love that binds together the trinity" (pg. 68-69).

let us hope and pray that reciprocal self-dedication is the type of love that binds us together as well.

*my italics.