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 attempting to explain its content.
Oftentimes, no clear boundaries exist between the various phenomena linked to the term. There seems, for instance, to be insufficient distinction between the concept of infatuation and, on the other hand, a life of compassion; between physical and emotional attraction of the moment and the unconditional acceptance of another person throughout a lifetime 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 pervasive, if we consider the destructive power of wrongdoing that human behavior can unleash. Yet while hatred permeates societies and possesses the capacity to linger and mutate—thereby appearing 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 His promise assures us, hatred will dissipate, and death will be put to rest. In Heaven’s homestead, there will be no hatred corrupting people, but eternal love, freedom, and wisdom instead. Thus, love is supreme because, by its very nature, it sustains life through offering and humility, through charity and forgiveness.
In a promiscuous society, sex is often mistaken for love—or love for sex—promulgating the notion that corporal pleasure is the highest manifestation of love. Yet sex, as a pleasure of the flesh, is often self-centered and crude, found in pre- or extramarital affairs, among people of the same gender, or as a mechanism of bodily gratification rather than an act of selfless 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, thereby allowing God to bestow His eternal blessing upon them.
Only in this elevated context, then, does corporal love meet 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. Yet they are neither deprived of the experience of love nor limited in their spiritual capacity to generate, convey, and strengthen affection. Love must therefore 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 from the human eye. We can experience it only in our hearts as we set out to emulate Jesus. It is not so much an act of emotion as it is an act of mind and will. St. Paul’s all-encompassing definition of love in his First Letter to the Corinthians expresses 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 encounter souls in distress, and doing so without any thought of recompense. It further means consoling those heavily afflicted by the wounds of this world, providing—in abundance—friendship, kindness, charity, and peace.
All that is required of 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 of elevating 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 