God’s Pursuit of Us
“God is an ageless romancer” were the words of the beloved Bible teacher at an all-female retreat.
Her words took me by surprise and appealed to my heart. I have always been a hopeless romantic — a sucker for rom-coms, Christmas movies on Lifetime, and happily-ever-after endings.
Having grown up in church, I often heard God described as Father, Friend, Way-Maker and Wonderful Counselor, to name a few. These names were easy to accept as true, but “romancer” was a bit difficult to embrace.
I’d reserved the word “romance” for men on white horses who slayed villains and rescued damsels in distress. Romancers were Prince Charming’s in tuxedos, with roses in one hand and chocolates in the other. When I imagined a romancer, I didn’t imagine God.
But over the course of the weekend retreat, God began to enlarge my understanding of romance. This word isn’t limited to novels and date nights. This word encompasses God’s tremendous love and His relentless pursuit of humanity. I saw it throughout Scripture.
