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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?\xa0Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? \u2026 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors\xa0through him who loved us.\xa0For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,\xa0neither the present nor the future,\xa0nor any powers,\xa0neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God\xa0that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

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We know these familiar words.\xa0 They are some of our favourites, often repeated in bad times and in good.

And yet, we also have to be reminded of these words.\xa0 Especially in times of much sorrow, hardship, or pain.\xa0 We have to remind one another again each time: \u201cnot even this, even as bad as it is, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.\u201d

It\u2019s been a rough week past in the life of our church.\xa0 A week that brought the death of Kelly and Martin.\xa0 A week of much sorrow as we grieved and continue to grieve.\xa0 It was also a week that marked a year of pandemic.\xa0 Much pain, much hardship.\xa0 And yet, as hard as this past week has been and will continue to be with the realities of long-grief it\u2019s brought into the lives of those we know and love here in our church, not even death itself can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.\xa0

It takes a lifetime to live the reality of these words out though.\xa0 We not only have to be reminded of the truth of these words, but we have to experience them too.\xa0 In the valley of death\u2019s dark shadows we have to ask: \u201cAre you still here, God?\u201d\xa0 As we face down a lost paycheck from a layoff, it begs the question: \u201cGod, are you still with us?\u201d\xa0 As we live in such a long isolation, we need to know: \u201cGod, are you still with me?\xa0 I need to see and feel your love.\u201d\xa0

Not always right away, but soon enough\u2014whether through the ministry of another, a peace in our soul, or a glimpse of something out in nature that assures us\u2014soon enough God answers: yes.\xa0 I love you and I am with you still, for nothing can separate you from my love for you in Jesus.\xa0

Remember, believe, and minister to one another as the hands and feet of Christ in this hope today, the hope that our God and his love remain with us always and through everything, no matter how hard.

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