Love Never Dies

Forever, O Lord, Your word continues in heaven. Your truth continues from generation to generation. You laid the foundation of the earth, and it continues. By your arrangement each day continues. — Psalm 118/119: 89-91a

Recently I was blessed to spend three weeks with my Scottish granddaughters. Scotland is roughly 4,500 miles from Seattle and 8 hours ahead of us. It makes for difficult FaceTime and phone calls. The oldest is now 8½ so I've accepted the distance and relish the times I can be with them. The youngest, almost 2 years old, so loved "reading" books. She had her favorites and even if they were placed randomly on the bookshelf, she searched them out easily. The 5 year old still enjoys being read to and knows how to choose books that bring tears to Nana's eyes.

The book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch gets me every time. The girls' mother and her siblings also knew that I would get emotional reading it. There is a common refrain throughout the story that mimics how I feel about my babies and so many other people. (For your information, I have edited the third line.):

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, Forever and ever, My baby you'll be.

This got me to thinking about God's love for us. It is never ending. No matter what we do, say, or think, His love for us continues. If we wander, He is the father waiting for the prodigal son or daughter to return. If we get caught in the busyness of the world, He's waiting. As Psalm 118 says, His word continues in heaven and His truth continues from generation to generation. He is the ultimate Parent and Comforter.

On one of my last days in Scotland, news came that my 52-year-old cousin, Neil, had passed from esophageal cancer. He persevered for just over two years. He tried hard to conquer it. He wanted to provide for his wife and two daughters — a sophomore at university and a high school senior. He's my younger cousin by 10 years. I remember vividly when he was born and his life. We also shared a heavy cancer diagnosis. This allowed a camaraderie in sharing texts over the 2,000 miles these past couple years.

At the memorial service in Illinois last week, the pastor quoted from 1 Corinthians 13. Interestingly, I read that chapter at Neil and Lisa's wedding. Of course, it holds familiar verses to all Christians, that of Love. Macrina the Younger said, "Love is first among all the activities connected with virtue and all the commandments of the law." If we have love for everyone, we will naturally follow God's guidance. I saw and felt so much love at Neil's funeral. Perhaps it is at times like these, where our true selves of love come out and the differences of this world subside.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love. — 1 Corinthians 13:13

As we prepare for the Resurrection of our Lord this Paschal season, death is ever at the forefront. The Cross was the pathway showing Christ's love for us that we may be saved through His death. Schema-Archimandrite Fr. Seraphim-Oran of Mull Monastery, off the western coast of Scotland, wrote in the monastery's recent newsletter (Issue 2, Easter 2026):

For all of us, Pascha holds a central place in our hearts. Apart from its theological significance, every human soul is aware of the simple fact that — sooner or later — we shall all collapse under the weight of death. Deep down, regardless of our status, wealth or intelligence, our souls know that the only hope to survive death does not come from within ourselves, but from the One Who brought us into being.

May we all remember that the One who gave us life, who knit us in our mother's wombs, would more than likely say the words to us — "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, Forever and ever, My baby you'll be."

From generation to generation, God's Love never dies.

In His Love,

Dana (Paisia)

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 Originally published in the Holy Apostles E-bulletin. Subscribe here.