Just as You Are: Opening Your Life to the Infinite Love of God
In today’s world, we have been conditioned to believe that nothing is without conditions: there are limits to how much we are willing to do for others; there are limits to what we are willing to forgive; there are limits to our love even for those closest to us. Given this mindset, it should come as no surprise that so many of us struggle with the idea that God loves us unconditionally. Voices of fear, guilt, anxiety, and unworthiness lead us to the belief that surely there must be times when God withholds his love from us. Thoughts such as this can actually cause us to turn away permanently from the Divine.InJust as You Are, Paul Coutinho, SJ, helps us move forward in the knowledge that God does love us at all times and simply asks us to embrace that amazing love and live in it on a daily basis. A native of India, Fr. Coutinho combines Eastern sensibilities with Ignatian principles and practices to show us how we can stop spinning our spiritual hamster wheel—futilely acting as though we can somehow earn God’s favor and love—and instead move forward in the unfathomable love of God already present in our lives. Just as You Are—filled with great storytelling, inspiring anecdotes, and memorable metaphors—makes clear that all roads start with God’s love rather than lead to God’s love. On the road, we simply need to experience the joy and freedom of the journey.