We hear so many stories of trouble in the world that we begin to think God has gone off and forgotten us. We read about crime, drugs, war, famine, and cruelty. "If God is a loving God, why are all these things happening?" Whatever happened to God's love?

Charles Kingsley wrote: "Beauty is God's handwriting . . . welcome it in every fair face, every fair sky, every fair flower."

At least one of God's love letters is written down for our daily use. We can read and re-read the messages as we are reminded of God's constant concern.

We know from whom a love letter comes. God's Word, the Bible, is very clear as to its source. God, the Creator and Sustainer of the world, wants to cultivate a relationship with each of us. The Bible tells us of God's love and shows us how to be God's people.

Children are our link with the past. It is through our children that we continue to story of God's love for us. Sharing our accounts of God's providence and care provides a continuing memory of God's activity on our behalf. Children carry the genetic markers of long-ago ancestors, connecting us to them.

How can we doubt the love of God when we see its self-giving in the person of Jesus? When the people whom God loved did not receive that message, God sent the ultimate love letter.

One of God's love letters to the world is the church, the body of Christ. The church is a living organism with Christ as the head, the source of life. This is God's creation for carrying on God's work in the world.

Jesus performed the menial service of a lowly servant on the night of his betrayal, knowing that he would soon return to glory and power. He gave the disciples a visible demonstration of his love. At the same time, they received an example of service to others.