Browsing by Author "Ojukwu, Maxwell Chibueze"

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    St. John of the Cross’s Understanding of God as A Hidden Lover and Its Relevance to the Issue Of Suffering
    (Tangaza University College, 2015) Ojukwu, Maxwell Chibueze
    The Christian religion is one that is centred on faith in a loving God, who Vatican II says has expressed his love in various ways to us. Jesus Christ is the climax of God’s expression of his love for humanity (cf. DV 3-4). Various writers and Christian mystics have tried to express this love in various terms and symbols. John of the Cross, in line with Scripture and the teachings of the church, presents God as a loving God, who cares for his suffering children, turns their suffering to good and uses it to draw them closer to himself. John presents God as a Hidden Lover who loves his children and purifies them for a life of communion with him. He leads them through various stages and dark moments with his hidden presence. Though we suffer at every moment, God is still with us as the life of John of the Cross testifies. Irrespective of our pains and sufferings, God is still the closest person to us and loves us. He is at the very centre of our being, though we don’t seem to notice his presence because of our present painful condition.