When there is suffering for God’s Name’s sake, love’s glory is revealed. When we are falsely accused and set aside, Christ secretly weds us to himself in the Bridal Chamber of hidden holiness, unveiling holy union in the Holy of Holies. We could never have received the hallowing grace of passionate love for him, if he had not first passionately loved us, seeking us out in the midst. It is this pure love that reveals his glory. His long-suffering love cures separation because it heals confusion that cuts us off from him. Love’s glory reveals this holy union to be his ultimate meaning, his enlightening intent. So those who out of malice may try to abuse and intimidate us, are not our real enemies, because the suffering they cause actually weds us to him. In him, apparent enemies are instruments of peace, uniting us to his unselfish love, revealing glory in his love of enemies, for it is the glory of the Cross that works his holy mysteries of glorification, his mysteries of grace imparting forgiveness to all.
Christ crucified is love of enemies that turns us right round by unveiling the glory of love at centre. It is this forgiving love that releases suffering into freedom. It is his piercing excruciation at work in us, as his sanctification of us, that reveals ineffable joy. The wisdom of Christly excruciation is the immovable hinge of deep turning, opening awakened hearts to the single eye of love. Wisdom turns us right round into him, overwhelming us with love, opening love’s light to light, unveiling love’s glory from glory to increasing glory. In this light, it is the accuser who is the enemy, not those who do the accusing. It is the deceiver who is the enemy of God, not those who are deceived, knowing not what they do. The accuser is answered by the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit who argues God’s case as the advocate of the accused. Every day is a doomsday of the Paraclete. There is no case to answer when confusion is dispelled. All is forgiven when Great Peace descends. Wisdom is profound release. Love’s glory utterly frees. Suffering in God’s Name forgives, so all is forgiven.
Great Peace completes our incompleteness through the mysteries of forgiveness, mysteries that forgive so all is forgiven. It does not follow that forgiveness is automatically received, because grace never imposes. If forgiveness is not sought nor desired, it remains what it is in God, love that unconditionally expresses the unconditioned grace of God. But all is forgiven when grace is sought and welcomed, when love’s glory forgives so all is forgiven. Such love is costly for the awakened heart, not to be confused with shallow forgetting. But grace never forces itself or imposes love, waiting for us to turn when love is ready, as in the Song of Songs. It may be that hearts are hard and refuse to forgive or be forgiven. So be it, for the completeness of Great Peace is not depleted by our incompleteness. Grace is not annulled but patiently waits for us to turn and see. Wisdom knows that in the completeness of the Great Peace, all is forgiven, forgiving and forgiven, which is the glory of love, whether we know it or not. If we know not what we do, we go on pushing love away, rejecting forgiveness by refusing to be forgiven. But wisdom discerns the glory of love way beyond the limits of our incompleteness. Suffering is Christ’s precious gift of hallowing union, revealing love’s radiant glory in his Kingdom come, forgiving and forgiven.