Scriptural Reference:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for
his friends.
Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment
of the law.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest
of these is love.
Ephesians
4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in love.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Reflection:
When we stop to ponder the strength and
power of love, the first thing we can do is to look at the greatest
love of all. As found in John 3:16. Where we learn of Gods love
for his creation. A pouring out of love so powerful and so final
in the way it is expressed. To sacrifice his only Son to act as
the Perfect Sin Atonement for the whole World.
The second lesson in love that we learn comes from John 15:13. In
which we are called to both embrace and emulate the divine Grace
and Love of God. How many people can you count that you would rush
to save, at the peril of your own life? How many strangers would
you be adding into this list? People you don't know. Then to take
it one step further. How many people you find difficult and painful
would you do the same? Perhaps the list is primarily made up of
those people who love us as much as we love them. What does this
really say about our inner emotional conflicts.
When Jesus was being tested as to his teachings, the Orthodox Jews
pointed constantly to the Laws of Mosses. Jesus knew what they were
doing. He understood the replacement of real tangible love with
a strict set of laws and rituals. He also knew that they, like us
today, need to return to the core principle of the Law of Love.
Therefore it is the "Fulfilment of the law">
There are many aspects of love that are both good and bad. But for
those who seemingly think that "all love" is good. Let's
take a little side step and see what is considered "bad love".
When love is used as a Tool and not a Gift. So many people
find themselves in what has come to be called a Co Dependent Relationship.
Where one person has emotional and physical control over another.
Making it impossible to grow and mature freely as an adult and an
individual. The person who has control is in their way expressing
their own concept of love. They may not even understand the damage
they are inflicting. While the person being controlled is under
a misguided concept that by giving in they are showing love through
obedience In the end this relationship will fall apart. The victim
will never mature. As for the one on control, over time they will
tire of the relationship and start looking for a new challenge.
When love is Myopically Focused. There are those who will
love their family. Yet at the very cost of the whole family, they
will become fixated and love just one person above others. My personal
experience with this was my Mothers love for my Brother. Who in
her eyes could do no wrong. All others in the family came a weak
second. Her fixation of her love became a dividing wedge that caused
rifts between my brother and the rest of the family. Rifts that
even today, well after their deaths, still has an ongoing pain of
its own. This love may have started with a pure compassionate need
to care and protect the recipient. But over time has become poisonous
and toxic to everyone.
When Love is of the Ego. There are those who will say we
are to place our love for God above all other loves. Even that of
family. So how is your relationship with God? Is he the top of your
list of your Love List? Or is he somewhere near the middle? The
danger is to start placing our family, who have been entrusted to
us by God, as first priority. Then to place our love for our career,
sport or a range of interest next. Then of course there is the hidden
love of oneself and abilities. Slowly the position for love of God
drops down the list. Still considered important. But not immediate.
What would we achieve if we could have all the things we consider
important to love at the cost of our relationship with God?
God is expressed in many ways through the Bible. We are given many
valuable insights into the nature of God. The strongest of these
is that God is Love. Simple as that. He created the World and all
of us. Out of love he did this. Out of love he continued to work
towards reconciliation with mankind. Out of love he sent his only
Son to take our place on the cross of our souls. Yes, it is an amazingly
easy form of understanding the nature of God as the nature of Real
Love.
In closing we have considered briefly what Love is and what Love
should not be. Our deepest call and desire is to emulate the love
of Jesus. To cling to what is good, what is pure, what is right
and what is of God.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Love is not a language that we are born with.
The words are painful to learn and express.
The fear of loss and hurt make us weary to speak.
And yet it is through your pure love that we exist.
Make my heart an instrument of you love.
My words the melody of your saving Grace.
My actions the expression of you healing power.
My life an extension of your Gospel of hope.
Love through me the World.
Amen