Ephesians 3:17-19

17.so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith ; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18.may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19.and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

At the church I went to in high school, this prayer of Paul’s was a very special passage. I remember standing and reading it together as a congregation and reflecting on the greatness of our God.

I am in awe of the picture Paul presents here of the love of Christ. He says we are rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. This sounds like a starting point. But Paul wants us not only to know that we are rooted, but to go on to discover the vast greatness of the love of Christ. The expressions he uses actually remind me of a plant. A seed is planted and it develops roots and grows. It is rooted and grounded in love. But this is not all- the plant grows. It has breadth, length, height, and depth. For breadth I imagine the magnificent oak tree with huge branches that spread out in every direction. It offers shelter beneath its branches, and cool shade from the heat of the sun. For length, I imagine the vine that twines and climbs, putting out beautiful flowers and offering delicious fruit. For height, I imagine the awesome redwoods, reaching higher than it seems possible. And for depth, I envision the massive and deep root systems that give strength and nourishment to the tree. The love of Christ is all of this to us and more; much more than I can imagine!

Not only does Christ plant us and grow us in His love, He gives us the life-long adventure of comprehending this love which goes beyond knowledge. This is the love that is at the root of everything we pursue- the only love that can fill us up to “all the fullness of God.”

When I think of this love, it reminds me of what a wonderful gift we have to share with each other, with the world, and especially with those who do not know Christ. I pray that this love is what they would see when the look at me.