Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit

by Erwin Raphael McManus

This is the great irony of the human story. When God does come to embrace us, to meet us face-to-face, to bring us into relationship with him, we far too often find ourselves betraying love. Yet his love is undeterred. He still pursues us with his relentless compassion. God is the passionate lover of humanity. He created you for love. You cannot live without love, and you do not have to. Yes, there is an insanity to love. You will go mad in pursuing it. You will despise life itself if you do not find it. Your soul craves love and will find satisfaction with nothing less. You shouldn’t be surprised that as you look for love, you keep running into God. Listen to your soul. You have not given yourself to a futile search. You are not alone in your pursuit. Love searches for you. Is it possible this is why the story won’t go away? Two thousand years later and somehow it is still strangely compelling. On a cross, Jesus of Nazareth hung naked and beaten for love. Talk about rejection. It would be easy to conclude that God made a fool of himself. What was he thinking to die for love? He gambled everything on the power of love. That love was more powerful than hate. That love was more powerful than death. What was he thinking to die for us, to give himself for you and for me, knowing we might just kiss him in the face and then walk away? Love’s just crazy like that.