In today’s day and age it is, admittedly, difficult to discern the core meaning of love. It appears that there are as many definitions of the essence of love as there are people explaining its content.
Often times no clear boundaries exist between various phenomena linked to the term – there seems, for instance, insufficient distinction between the concept of infatuation and, on the other hand, living a life of compassion; between physical and emotional attraction of the moment and unconditional acceptance of another person during a long life of fidelity; between corporal love, drawn to pleasure, and a spiritual state of mind that never seeks its own.
Love is, indeed, the most powerful force in the universe. Nothing can compete with it, because love is eternal. In the realm of earthly existence, hatred may seem equally strong, at times perhaps even more invasive, if we look at the destructive power of wrongdoing that human behavior can cause. Yet while hatred permeates all societies and has the capacity to linger on, to mutate – and by doing so remaining indestructible in this world, it does eventually come to a halt.
Jesus conquered death, and by extension all forms of evil. At the end of time, so is His promise, hate will dissipate, and death will be put to rest. In Heaven’s homestead, there will be no more hatred corrupting people, but there will be eternal love, freedom and wisdom instead. Thus, love is supreme, because by its core quality it sustains life through offering and humility, through charity and forgiveness.
In a promiscuous society, sex is mistaken for love – or love for sex, promulgating that corporal pleasure is the highest degree of love manifested. Yet sex, as pleasure of the flesh, is often self-centered and rude, found in pre- or extramarital affairs, among people of the same gender, or as a mechanism of bodily grandeur rather than an act of unselfish giving embedded in the sacramental union of a married couple. There can be no fruitfulness of corporal love if both husband and wife are not open to life during their intimate encounter, allowing God to bestow His eternal blessing on them.
Only in this elated context then it is that corporal love meets the standard of true love as envisioned by our Creator – in all other instances sexual pleasure remains barren, unfulfilling and unqualified to build lasting bonds of life.
Another angle needs to be explored as well: there are those among us who wish to live a life of chastity. But neither are they robbed of the experience of love, nor are they limited in their spiritual faculty to generate, convey and fortify affection. Love must then possess other criteria by which it is identified and recognized as the most powerful force in the universe.
The essence of love is, indeed, hidden to the human eye. We can only experience it in our heart as we set out to emulate Jesus. It is not as much an act of emotion, but rather an act of mind and will. St. Paul’s all-encompassing definition of love in his first letter to the Corinthians says it succinctly: love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, conceited or rude. It never takes offense or stores up grievances. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure.
Love is then our determination, our steadfast will to walk in the footsteps of goodness, cheerfulness and God-centeredness. It is our conscientious decision to reach out, to lift our brothers and sisters up, assisting wherever we may find dire souls, and doing so without the thought of recompense. It further means consoling people heavily inflicted by the wounds of this world, providing – in abundance – friendship, kindness, charity and peace.
All that is required from us is a proper disposition, while advocating the truth. All that we need to do as Christians is to confront ignorance and coldness of heart with brotherly compassion. When we are capable to elevate any discourse to a level of dignified interaction, we know that we are on the right path. After all: where God is present, love is present. And where there is love, we are embraced by the Holy Spirit of the Most High.
FAITHBOUND 