We live in a world awash in love stories. Most of them are lies. They are not love stories at all-they are lust stories, sex-fantasy stories, and domination stories. From the cradle we are fed on lies about love.  Ah yes, is this not the truth.

This would be bad enough if it only messed up human relationships-man and woman, parent and child, friend and friend - but it also messes up God-relationships. The huge, mountainous reality of all existence is that God is love, that God loves the world. Each single detail of the real world that we face and deal with day after day is permeated by this love.  It's esp tough growing up when you have no example of a true love relationship with your dad or mom.

But when our minds and imaginations are crippled with lies about love, we have a hard time understanding this fundamental ingredient of daily living, "love," either as a noun or as a verb. And if the basic orienting phrase "God is love" is plastered over with cultural graffiti that obscure and deface the truth of the way the world is, we are not going to get very far in living well. We require true stories of love if we are to live truly.  or truly love, they way God wants.

Hosea is the prophet of love, but not love as we imagine or fantasize it.  He was a parable of God's love for his people lived out as God revealed and enacted it-a lived parable. It is an astonishing story: a prophet commanded to marry a common whore and have children with her. It is an even more astonishing message: 888 God loves us in just this way - goes after us at our worst, keeps after us until he gets us, and makes lovers of men and women who know nothing of real love. Once we absorb this story and the words that flow from it, we will know God far more accurately. 888 And we will be well on our way to being cured of all the sentimentalized, and neurotic distortions of love that incapacitate us from dealing with the God who loves us and loving the neighbors who don't love us.

~~ intro to Hosea in The Message

We, too, are prostitutes in a wedding dress. We are prostitutes in God's eyes, since spiritually we run after other "husbands," lusting for what idols offer us-fame, fun, money, or respect from the "in crowd."   A. . . a man who neither know nor loves God ~~ how can he surely know and love me??

. . . but only our husband Jesus truly purifies us, washing our hearts clean and clothing us in His white robe of perfection. "You were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth... You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty" (Ezekiel 16:13). I need ONLY a love relationship with my God, Saviour, Redeemer, Shepherd.

. . . then I will marry you for good ~ forever.   I'll love you truly and proper, in love and tenderness.

Yes, I'll marry you and neither you leave you nor let you go.

You'll know me, God, for who I really am.

. . . I'll say to Nobody, "you are my dear Somebody,

and they say "You're my God."

~~ Hosea 2: 19-20, 23

Boy this is A LOT to take in and understand . . .