"God is love. Love
endures all things." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7
Lodged in the shadows of an
elegant rotunda in NYC’s French Embassy lobby stands a curly-haired youth, set
on an ancient Roman altar. It’s taken a
battering over the years, having not only lost its arms and lower legs but also
suffered a number of breaks. There’s
considerable water erosion, probably from an earlier life as a fountain, on the
chest and head. There’s also some
staining on the face and some chipping of the nose and upper lip.
Over the last half century, the statue has been seen by
thousands of visitors, many of whom gathered for social events in the shadows
around the fountain. But if they thought
of it at all, it was as a throwback to turn-of-the-century taste. Never did anyone suspect that it might be
Manhattan's only sculpture by one of the greatest creative artists of
all time.
The statue, identified variously as a young archer or a
Cupid, has been the subject of intense scrutiny. The flickering curls of the hair, the forms
and features of the face, the treatment of the body and the carving technique
suggests it was carved by the famed Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo as a
teenage prodigy.
Mythologically, Venus’ son Cupid was at times portrayed as a
small, winged boy, carrying a bow and arrow. Legend reveals that those shot with his arrow were
destined to fall in love. He’s cute and
lovable but also mischievous and dangerous at times.
Cupid reminds us of the power of love especially when it is
pure and uncontaminated by jealousy, fear and greedy attachment. It’s ironic that this masterpiece, this iconic
symbol of love, stood unrecognized for centuries.
God’s love may also lie unrecognized within our own hearts
... but it’s there whether we acknowledge it or not. “In the
quiet of the night, be comforted: the Lord remembers you.” (Psalm 63:7) He is the God of all comfort and the healer
of fragmented, devastated, tender hearts.
Human love is an incredible thing, the kind of gift that
puts purpose in your life and happiness in your heart. But God's love is even better!
It’s not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions,
or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It’s not changed by your talents and
abilities. It’s simply there for the
asking - when you’re sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is even there for you whether or
not you feel you deserve it.
Deny it, fight it or try to ignore it, but God's love for
you is omnipresent, lying right out in the open sometimes when you least expect
to find it. Be comforted: “God loves you.” (John 3:16)
Lord, there’s no human experience that I might
walk through where Your love cannot reach me. Teach me to love You more. Help me to rest in that love that asks nothing
more than the simple trusting heart of a child. In Jesus name, Amen
