Today I was talking to Judy about what draws people to Christ. Why do people give their life to the Lord; how does this happen? I guess every Christian has their story of how they came to know and love the Lord. Many may have been raised in a Christian family and over time made the faith their own. Others may have been far away from God, living a life even opposed to the ways of God, and yet  “found the Lord…or the Lord found them”. “So as they say, there are a 8 million stories in the Naked City”. (remember the 1958 TV police series?) 

Yet so much is involved in this magnificent process of God seeking after man and man fumbling the ball again and again, and finally submitting to God’s loving plan. How does this all work?

Well the psalmist speaks of the longing in our soul.  “As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God.My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” (Ps. 42:1-2)  We all have an emptiness in our soul, a longing for God. We may try to satisfy that longing with riches and pleasure and power…. but we eventually find out that these things never do it for us. There is a hunger that only God can satisfy. Often this hunger increases as we are confronted with experiences that we can’t control… like suffering and death. 

So where do we turn in our hunger? Where do we look for relief during this suffering? It’s at these moments when we can be open to hearing the saving words of the gospel.  “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17)  When we’re hungry and thirsty, we need someone to tell us where the food is, where the living water is. So, the word of God needs to be preached. Yet even here, we need to be able to identify these saving words. How do we recognize the saving words and invitation of God?

The sacred words of salvation, these sacred truths need to be spoken in love. St. Augustine tells us that, “love is a sweet word but a sweeter deed.” (Magnificat, 8-28-23) We can speak of the love of God, his mercy and kindness, but we need to demonstrate the sweetness of this love and mercy and kindness with our actions. God’s love in action draws the thirsty soul to himself. 

Ultimately the searching sinner needs to take a risk for Christ….. to cast his lot with the Lord in order to discover that in Christ his soul will be well. St. Augustine tells us that “understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” (ibid) At some point we need to risk believing the claims of Christ…. and then we will gain understanding. 

When it’s all said and done it’s the “Hound of Heaven” that pursues each of us. It’s God’s will that all be saved.(1Tim. 2:4) Sure we can try to avoid him, but he continues after us. He continues after the wayward child, the hardened criminal, the proud and arrogant. His desire is that we all come to know him and his great love. For our part  let us demonstrate the “sweetness of his love” so that others will be drawn to our great and  loving God. 

‘Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am He Whom thou seekest! ’ (Francis Thompson, Hound of Heaven)