Gud versus Gud

Gud er kærlighed. Men Gud er også retfærdighed. Og disse to aspekter ved Gud er i konflikt, når han ser sit elskede folk vende sig bort fra ham og er ham utro. Retfærdigheden byder ham at straffe si folk. Kærligheden byder ham at forbarme sig over det. Her er det Guds kærlighed som tilgivende agape-kærlighed kommer ind. Da hans udvalgte folk svigter ham, siger han: ”Jeg fuldbyrder ikke min harmglød, gør ej Efraim til intet igen. Thi Gud er jeg, ikke et menneske, hellig udi din midte…” (Hosea 11,9 gl. oversæt.).

Pave Benedikt skriver: ”God’s passionate love for his people – for humanity – is at the same time a forgiving love. It is so great that it turns God against himself, his love against his justice. Here Christians can see a dim prefigurement of the mystery of the cross: so great is god’s love for man that by becoming man he follows him even into death, and so reconciles justice and love.” Pave Benedikt den 16., Deus Caritas Est, 10.

"His death on the cross is the culmination of that turning of God agains himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is love in its most radical form.” Pave Benedikt den 16., Deus Caritas Est, 12.