Adorbs

“You are adorbs.”

A couple of years ago, I was visiting family, and I can’t remember what cute thing we were admiring, but my sister-in-law said, “That’s adorbs.” Then she smiled and looked sideways at her granddaughter. They both made a wry face. Kathy explained that her granddaughter Allie disapproved of her “granny” using the word “adorbs.” I’m not sure why. Maybe it seemed to Allie that the word was only appropriate for young, hip people whose generation had popularized it.  It became a cute little family joke.

I thought of that interchange when Father Greg Boyle, who I wrote about in a previous email of God’s love, talked about God’s adoration of us. I wrote then about how Fr. Boyle said God says to us, “You are my delight.” He told us that Hindus go to the temple not to see God but rather to”“allow God to gaze upon them.” And he talked about the words of a familiar hymn which could be changed to  “O come let us allow our God to adore us.”

Story after story in the gospels talks about Jesus looking at others in love. In one story, a  rich man comes to Jesus and asks, “What must I do to have eternal life?” First, Jesus tells him to obey all the commandments, including “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The rich man says, “I have done this since I was young.” Then Jesus says, “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The rich man’s “face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” As Jesus answered the man’s question, the gospel says, “Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.” (Mark 10:17-22)

When Jesus sees his friends Mary and Martha crying because their brother, also Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, has died, “he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled,” and then “Jesus wept.” (John 11:1-44) In another story, his friend Mary is crying because she thinks someone has stolen Jesus’ body from the tomb he was buried in. But Jesus has risen from the dead. He shows up at the tomb while Mary’s crying, and at first she doesn’t recognize him. Jesus says her name, “Mary,” with so much love and adoration in his voice that Mary Magdalene recognizes him and is filled with joy (John 20:11-18). On the day of his death, he loves even those who are killing him so much that he  prays for the people who nailed him to the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” That same day, to the thief hanging on a cross beside him, Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:32-43).  Such love for such weak and even murderous people!

I encourage you all to remember this: God adores you. He looks at you and says, “You are adorbs.”