"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely" (Hosea 14:4).

The sixties of last century was the beginning of the era of 'free love' with the implied notion that love can be had with no strings attached; without cost. Today's text indicates something different. Here free love takes upon itself the poor behavior of its object. Free love flows, but the freedom of it is experienced by the loved one. Free love is about bearing the weight of all that is unloving in the world--in order to bring healing.