Because he first loved us

I love the keepsake we bought at the fundraising auction for the Catholic School where Olive attended grade one. A group craft consisting of neatly placed painted fingerprints spelling out a Bible passage on wood.

“We Love because he first loved us”

As a ‘cultural Catholic’ who has never loved Church doctrine, the message on the board had always struck me as very presumptuous… (I’m pretty sure humans have the ability to love even if they have never heard of Jesus.)

It was last week as Hazel read the sign out loud and said “That’s like you dad…”,

referring to her and Olive’s ability for kindness and love, that I finally was able to embrace the message.

We use the expression ‘mad kids are sad kids’ around our house, referring to kids (or people) who act cruelly as a result of a troubled home-life. Years of childhood ‘programming’ tends to produce the character we see in our society, good or bad.

From family, to work, to public, we receive the behaviours we model.

Be the change you want to see, and remember to love first.

• Now that’s a peak ethos.