By Becca Siar
Have you ever found yourself belting out a particular song while riding in the car, cleaning the house, cooking a meal, or while you were taking shower? I am not ashamed to say that I find myself doing this all of the time, whether it is “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, “Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears (or any 90s song for that matter), or “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan. Recently though, while I was folding my laundry, I was listening to my playlist specifically dedicated to all of the songs listed above and more, and I found myself busting out my beautiful “sing at the top of your lungs” voice to Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” song. I was in the middle of singing the refrain,
“Unconditionnnnnnal! Unconditionnnnnnallyyyy! I will love youuuu unconditioonnnnnnallyyy!” when all of a sudden, a thought hit me...what if God was speaking to us through these lyrics? Now hear me out...I’m not crazy! I promise! What are the lyrics really saying? Just look at the first verse of the song:
Oh no, did I get too close?
Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?
All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time
How often are we afraid to show God our insecurities? But why? God already knows everything about us, as even "the very hairs of [our] head[s] are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). Yet he doesn’t care. He made us and loves us unconditionally.
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
In reflecting on the lyrics, I also was reminded of the verse in the first epistle of John: “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). Or even in the Paul’s letter to the Romans which states that “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). Whenever we are feeling lonely or unloved, whenever we feel like we aren’t worthy of God’s love, don’t forget that God IS love and created each and every one of us out of love. God doesn’t care if we have made a million mistakes in our lives. All He wants is for us to run back to His open arms and to give Him our whole messy selves.
Starting on December 8th (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), the Catholic Church as a whole will kick off what Pope Francis calls the “Year of Mercy.” It will be a year for us, as Christians, to forgive our friends, strengthen our relationships with others, and strengthen our relationship with God. It will be a time for us to both ask for God’s mercy and show mercy towards others, as Pope Francis reminds us in one of his homilies that "No one can be excluded from God's mercy.” It seems only fair that we share with others the endless mercy and love that God has for us since he has made every one of us in His image. So let us “give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting” (Psalm 136:2). In other words, God loves you UNconditionnnnnnallyyyy!
Have you ever found yourself belting out a particular song while riding in the car, cleaning the house, cooking a meal, or while you were taking shower? I am not ashamed to say that I find myself doing this all of the time, whether it is “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, “Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears (or any 90s song for that matter), or “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan. Recently though, while I was folding my laundry, I was listening to my playlist specifically dedicated to all of the songs listed above and more, and I found myself busting out my beautiful “sing at the top of your lungs” voice to Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” song. I was in the middle of singing the refrain,
“Unconditionnnnnnal! Unconditionnnnnnallyyyy! I will love youuuu unconditioonnnnnnallyyy!” when all of a sudden, a thought hit me...what if God was speaking to us through these lyrics? Now hear me out...I’m not crazy! I promise! What are the lyrics really saying? Just look at the first verse of the song:
Oh no, did I get too close?
Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?
All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time
How often are we afraid to show God our insecurities? But why? God already knows everything about us, as even "the very hairs of [our] head[s] are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). Yet he doesn’t care. He made us and loves us unconditionally.
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
In reflecting on the lyrics, I also was reminded of the verse in the first epistle of John: “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). Or even in the Paul’s letter to the Romans which states that “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). Whenever we are feeling lonely or unloved, whenever we feel like we aren’t worthy of God’s love, don’t forget that God IS love and created each and every one of us out of love. God doesn’t care if we have made a million mistakes in our lives. All He wants is for us to run back to His open arms and to give Him our whole messy selves.
Starting on December 8th (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), the Catholic Church as a whole will kick off what Pope Francis calls the “Year of Mercy.” It will be a year for us, as Christians, to forgive our friends, strengthen our relationships with others, and strengthen our relationship with God. It will be a time for us to both ask for God’s mercy and show mercy towards others, as Pope Francis reminds us in one of his homilies that "No one can be excluded from God's mercy.” It seems only fair that we share with others the endless mercy and love that God has for us since he has made every one of us in His image. So let us “give thanks to the God of gods, for His loving kindness is everlasting” (Psalm 136:2). In other words, God loves you UNconditionnnnnnallyyyy!
"Unconditionally"
By: Katy Perry
Oh no, did I get too close?
Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?
All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
Come just as you are to me
Don't need apologies
Know that you are worthy
I'll take your bad days with your good
Walk through the storm I would
I do it all because I love you, I love you
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
So open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart
Acceptance is the key to be
To be truly free
Will you do the same for me?
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
And there is no fear now
Let go and just be free
'Cause I will love you unconditionally (oh yeah)
I will love you (unconditionally)
I will love you
I will love you unconditionally
By: Katy Perry
Oh no, did I get too close?
Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?
All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
Come just as you are to me
Don't need apologies
Know that you are worthy
I'll take your bad days with your good
Walk through the storm I would
I do it all because I love you, I love you
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally
So open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart and just let it begin
Open up your heart
Acceptance is the key to be
To be truly free
Will you do the same for me?
Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally
And there is no fear now
Let go and just be free
'Cause I will love you unconditionally (oh yeah)
I will love you (unconditionally)
I will love you
I will love you unconditionally
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