To Be Fully Known & Loved

My counselor is almost eighty years old. He is one of the wisest, kindest, and most alive humans I’ve ever spent time with. During his more than fifty years of counseling thousands, he has seen it all. And he’s certain that the deepest desire of every person is to be fully seen, known, and loved. Most don’t believe this longing will ever be met. Because if anyone ever fully knew their most secret thoughts, they couldn’t be fully loved.

Yet deep within us, the hope remains of finding a home where this is true.

Hiraeth is a Welsh word that can’t be described by a single English word. It conveys a yearning for a home that we can’t return to, no longer exists, or perhaps never was. It’s not just looking for a home. It’s a longing for our true home. One with God at the epicenter where we are fully seen, known, and loved.

That happened in Eden. And we can experience much of it today. The goal isn’t to return to the original Eden. It’s to set our sights on the New Eden. It’s a Homeward Journey that involves us going forward—not backward—as God leads the way.

Want more? Read the first section of The Eden Option for free here. Or order here.