Love Is Bigger

I have had more than my fair share of angry conversations with God over the years.  I'm not ashamed to admit that, even though in a former life I would have been.  God and I have had some salty one-way conversations to be sure.  

I learned as a young man that not even declaring to God that I didn't believe in God would result in the earth opening up and swallowing me whole into everlasting perdition, so I feel like God doesn't mind when I get a little raw sometimes about the state of the world.  

Maybe this resonates with some of you, as well.  

There are moments when the brokenness of the world hits us like a tidal wave. Violence, injustice, hatred, and division scream from every screen and corner of culture. In those moments, many of us feel an anger rise up that feels holy, but also terrifying. 

Anne Lamott captures this perfectly when she writes:  

“I thought such awful thoughts that I cannot even say them out loud because they would make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish.” 

I love that so much.  Lamott's words are both humorous and haunting because they ring true. The depth of our frustration and grief over the world’s darkness can feel like too much to bear.

And yet, anger—while sometimes righteous—can consume us if we let it. It can leave us bitter, resentful, and spiritually drained. When anger becomes our constant companion, it robs us of the very thing we most need to keep going: hope.

That’s why Lamott’s other quote is so essential for our souls: 

“Hope is not about proving anything. It's about choosing to believe this one thing, that love is bigger than any grim, bleak s**t anyone can throw at us.”

Hope doesn’t demand that we deny the pain or pretend the world is better than it is. It asks us, instead, to believe that even in the worst moments, love is still alive—and love still wins.

This kind of hope doesn’t float above reality; it lives in it. It’s found in small acts of kindness, moments of reconciliation, shared tears, and silent prayers. It is the unshakable belief that God’s love is always working—healing wounds, breaking down walls, and lighting paths through the darkness.

As followers of Christ, we are called to see the world not through the lens of fear, cynicism, or tribalism, but through the eyes of God’s relentless love. Love that crosses boundaries. Love that softens hearts. Love that reaches out even when it’s easier to turn away.

Today, ask yourself: Where do I see love breaking through? Maybe it’s a neighbor’s helping hand, a stranger’s smile, a story of redemption, or a quiet moment of peace you didn’t expect. Let those moments anchor you. Let them lead your heart in a new direction.

Because in the end, love is bigger. And where love is, there God is also.

Prayer:
God of love, when anger clouds my heart, give me the courage to choose hope. Help me to see the world through your eyes and find strength in your love that never fails. Amen.