"Longing and Hope"

"As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God"

I think the main idea from this reading is the fact that we as humans have hopes and longings. The things we hope for are what eventually become longings as we become more and more passionate about them. The things we long or yearn for something, "we are seeking union with something from which we are separated". The things from which we are separated from can be a number of things, from a best friend, girlfriend, or family, to "a happy time" or "a lovely place". Regardless of what it is that we long for, God is always at the centre.

It is necessary to note that "God has made us for himself. Our sense of God runs in us like a stream, even though we divert it toward other objects. We human beings want God even when we think that what we really want is a green valley, or a good time from our past, or a loved one". This shows again that what we yearn for is ultimately God. I know that personally I long to be loved, and long for a sense of community, and to be surrounded by friends and family who I can have a deep rather than shallow relationship with. Behind all this though is God. I like to think of it as going through our life on Earth to find the things that bring us joy, and finding the things that will bring glory to God as well. Then at the end of our lives when we go to heaven, we are granted the ultimate joy - God.

The other essential part that cannot be forgotten is that "we also need love. Love gets us out of our shell. It lifts our interest not only toward Christ but also toward others, so that when we begin to hope, we naturally hope for them as well as for ourselves". Love is one of the most important things in life. Love is what enables us to be selfless, to care for and help other people, and much more. Love, if everyone in the world possessed enough of it, would make it a better place for all of us. With love and of course faith, we should as a global community be able to carry out God's redemptive plan. Let us keep faith, hope, longing, and love to glorify God, and be a positive example to our fallen world.