Love is not a feeling but an exchange. It is the meeting of two realities—ours and the Divine—where each gives and receives without condition. In this exchange, there is no separation, only the movement of love itself. The Spirit of God reaches toward us, and we respond. This response is not passive; it is an active inclination, a movement of our whole being toward the source of our existence. In this meeting, we come to know God as we are known. Each demands of the other what it is, and each offers to the other and invites it to accept what it is. There is no need for effort, only willingness. Love is its own foundation, not built by our striving but by our participation. We are not alone in our seeking—God seeks us just as we seek God.
May we freely give and receive in love,
knowing that as we seek God,
God also seeks us.
(inspired by Harvey D. Egan, An Anthology of Christian Mysticism; James Finley, Turning to John Ruusbroec; John Ruusbroec, The Spiritual Espousals and Other Works)