The concept of being known, and then loved, is a powerful one for me. Love without full knowledge of what you’re loving is an easy thing for me to accept. You love me because you only see the parts I want you to see. I would love me if I only saw those parts too. But to know someone completely, and then choose to love them, takes that love to an entirely new level. That’s love despite the knowledge of what I’ve done, of the dark filthy areas of my past. What a powerful thing. This is unconditional love, love that isn’t earned but generously given. It’s love that isn’t based on the merits of my character, but on who I am. 

I have never really understood this kind of love (see Murderer in a Mansion). It has been a constant battle for me to accept that God loves me in spite of my sin. The most impactful bible verse I’ve ever read is 2 Corinthians 12:9,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

As simple as this truth is, it goes against everything the world has taught me about love and grace. God’s love is not transactional, and just as the psalm this poem is based off (Psalm 139) says, there is nowhere we can run from it. This is such a life changing truth. God knows you more completely than you know yourself, and yet loves you more than you could ever understand. What a marvellous thing!