St. Paul was not reluctant to chide the early Christian communities he addressed in his letters. They received his admonitions because they knew that what he said to them came out of love. Before correcting the Ephesians he reminded them that they are “rooted and grounded in love.” The Apostle had experienced God’s love for him even when he was a persecutor. He conveyed that same loving embrace while reminding the Church of the need for conversion. Every parent can relate — a child will heed a “no” if they feel the love that lies behind it. In our lives, we must experience God’s love for us even in our messiness and then pass that love on to other messy people when we offer correction.
