"The love of Christ controls us." So begins St. Paul's Epistle for this morning, taken from his 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians. "The love of Christ controls us."

Long have I known that I do not share St. Paul's brilliance, or his wisdom, or his sanctity - and am glad to admit that, good thing to admit that. But I am less content and satisfied, worried, troubled even, that I do not, cannot seem to share his optimism and confidence and hopeful, hope-filled, reassuring outlook on the likes of us. "The love of Christ controls us". And that's that.

Gosh, I am not sure it does! I do wonder if it does, at least in my case, and frankly, in yours. Does the love of Christ control us, is that the only real and significant influence in our lives, the only route we follow, the only desire we have - to be controlled by the love of Christ? Does that seem be the decisive, abiding, constant characteristic of our lives, our thoughts and actions and speech? The love of Christ controlling us?

Well, St. Paul thinks so, thinks it does. No - more than just thinks, is instead full assured, completely convinced. The love of Christ is what controls us. It may well be, probably is, that St. Paul here rises to the open-hearted, sublimely generous consideration of who and what we are that is always assumed and expressed by our Lord and by our God. We are reckoned righteous. It is an article of our faith, that God regards us, reckons us, as righteous. Me, you, righteous in the eyes of God -not missing the mark, not falling short, not promising but often disappointing, not failing to measure up to our potential. He regards us as righteous, reckons us righteous. Regardless. Despite, I would say, some awfully incriminating evidence to the contrary. Righteous. And because he says that, because he feels that, because he assumes that, he therefore also makes us that - he regards us as righteous, and then so we are - on no other basis, and for no other reason, with nothing supplied by us except a willingness to believe. So relax.

Well it appears, seems, that St. Paul is here doing the same thing, expressing the same hugely and lusciously optimistic view of us, that, whatever my own doubts and disbeliefs, is so comforting, so reassuring, so welcome, that it will probably invite and encourages us to act that way, to seem that way, to be that way in a clear and convincing and noticeable way that justifies, or at least begins to explain, St. Paul's confidence, and our Lord's radiant love. If I disbelieve, I like to think it is only because, I am like those disciples, who, on seeing the Risen Jesus, "disbelieved for joy!"

But because St. Paul and our Lord and our God start with that, start with that assumption, indeed that full assurance, that we are better than I fear at least I am, far better, well, that then is a great help to actually being better, a critical and essential and necessary help and boost to becoming that, more and more openly, so it is not so shocking, not so seemingly contradictory, as I find it now, to say of me, of us: "Oh yes, definitely, absolutely, the love of Christ is what controls us."

I not only long for that, but see, now, that I dare hope for that, must start with that, to be true to the teachings of St. Paul, and to the mind of our Lord, and to be obedient to our God.

So what might that look like, what might that entail, how might we show that and live that out in an open and evident and convincing way, a way that justifies St. Paul's magnificent trust in us, his astounding optimism and good-regard for us and our motives and intentions and characteristics?

Well, a first thing I need to reassure myself about, maybe you need this reassurance too, is that it is "the love of Christ", Christ, that controls us. We are, rightly and wisely and judiciously wary of those who control us, or seek to. Few of us like to around a controlling person, much less be utterly subject to them. It is not a good to thing to say about a person - "they are controlling". I don't want to be controlled - it is unhealthy and neurotic and a capitulation to a stronger but not necessarily better or kinder person.

But on the other hand, if I do not want to be controlled, surely I do not desire or seek or long to be out-of-control and seen as such by myself and others. If we do not trust a person who is controlling, we really get more nervous, alarmed, in the presence of someone who is not at all controlled or controllable, who is out-of-control.

The way out of this dilemma is to remember always what we are speaking about. St. Paul is speaking about the love of Christ, no other, not some person, some damaged individual, or some petty power-player here on earth - we are wise to avoid and resist them, and where necessary to escape being under the control of such a person.

But the love of Christ is different, isn't it? I would love to be controlled, have my thoughts, prayers, actions, hopes, dreams, intentions, controlled by the love of Christ. And I am thrilled that St. Paul and our Lord, already believe, assume, state, that that is in fact the case! That happy and glorious quality, which I would see as a goal, an aim, an achievement, a possibly hopeless endeavor - St. Paul and our Lord say we already have, is where we begin, not what we seek or attempt, no matter what we may think, or others may conclude.

It is the Lord of all Creation, the Lord of our Lives, whose love controls us. That same Lord, that same God, begins his relationship with us, and grounds his love for us, and offers us his salvation. on the basis of what he, and he alone can see sometimes, as he regards us, reckons us as righteous, and our Lord and St. Paul are confident then, that as night follows day, the love of Christ controls us. That is where we start, not end. What good news! What ... amazing grace.