“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand over, Israel?” (Hosea 11:8a)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Grace and peace to you.

I am Pastor Sophia.

We talk about love all the time. We say, “I love this song,” “I love this season,” “I love that restaurant.” We use the word so often that sometimes it becomes shallow, casual, and easily replaced. If we are honest, love has become one of the most overused—and sometimes misunderstood—words in our daily conversations.

But the love God speaks about in Scripture is not casual at all.

The Bible describes a love that is deep, costly, patient, and sometimes even painful. It is not a love that disappears when it is inconvenient or difficult. It is a love that stays, even when the heart is broken.

The prophet Hosea gives us a glimpse of this love. In Hosea 11, God speaks, like a wounded parent, asking, “How can I give you up?”
These words are not spoken in judgment, but in compassion. This is the language of love.

John’s Gospel echoes this same truth in a familiar verse:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.”
This love is not abstract. It is personal. It is self-giving. It moves toward us rather than away from us.

As your pastor, I know that many of us carry complicated feelings about love. Some are grieving. Some feel unworthy of being loved at all. And some of us find it hard to love others when we ourselves feel stretched thin. Loving deeply is not easy. Being loved deeply can be just as challenging.

And yet, God does not withdraw. God does not say, “I’m done.” That is the heartbeat of the gospel.

This coming Sunday, we will gather because God’s love holds us together. My prayer is that you will come as you are—bringing your questions, your joys, your weariness, and your hope. There is room for all of it here.

May this week be a gentle reminder that you were born in love, shaped by grace, and held by a God whose compassion never runs out. May that love slowly, quietly, and faithfully flow through us into the lives of others.

I look forward to worshiping with you soon.

With warmth, prayer, and hope,

Sophia (Seung Hae) Yoo-Hess

Pastor of Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church

43987 Little River Turnpike, Chantilly, Virginia
Office) (703)3274461