What is Love?

One of the most irritating and difficult to deal with issues, LOVE. What is love? Is love that little warm fuzzy feeling you get when you see someone, that special someone you have in mind? Is love an emotion which people express like happiness and anger? Is love something that can be done forcefully? Well, love is a really big word, and is can be divided into many different types. For example, there is God's love(Agape), there is human love(Philia), sexual love(Eros) and so on.

As Kenneth shared this morning.
"Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Okay, the verse John 3:16 is probably very overused, but oh well, I believe it shows the true love which God has for us, sinful people. When God sent his Son down as a fully God yet fully man, to die on the cross with the burden of all our sins on it. This act of love which Jesus showed on the cross for us men(and women), tore the veil which separated us from God. Sin, the big evil thing, separated us from God. But Jesus took the sin away when we lay it down at his feet, and we are brought to the father through Jesus Christ.

In the old testimony, man had to make sacrifices to make up for their sins, there were many strict orders/procedures that followed. For example specific animals for specific sins etc. However, no matter how many sacrifices are made, man can never redeem himself, even all the sacrifices in the world are not enough to save one soul. However, Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice was more than enough to be a ransom for all man who believe in him. This love which Jesus showed, this grace which never should have been given, was given because of God's love for us. This love which we should not deserve, was given. So God's love is love which we don't even deserve. Perhaps this love, is the bridge built by Jesus Christ, to link us with God.

Let's compare God's love with say human love. Human love, is probably very flawed to some extent. You see right, what is human love in the first place? Perhaps human love could be a strong affection towards someone, maybe its a "role" which parents have to fulfill, or possibly the puppy love which many feel. Alex asked me the question, is love about being concerned or is it being addicted to someone, when you can live without this person or hopefully God. When all you think about is this person(or God), and you can't help but babble to all your friends about this love and addiction which you hopefully have for God. When humans are in love, we can't help but declare to the whole world about how much love we have.

Okay, I don't think I've been answering the question yet. But what I believe right, is that love, or at least human love, is the cement which holds things together. Its so hard and firm and stuck on to stick people together that sometimes to some extent, it does harm. Have you noticed that in most pavements, there are these gaps with some black stuff to fill up? This is to prevent the pavement from breaking apart or cracking when it expands and contracts. But if it is all cement, we would be prone to crack(take the IB building for example :P) because we are too caught up with this relationship that it distracts us from God, well at least a bit. But you see, if you fill up these gaps with the black stuff, they stay together, but yet, won't crack under changing temperatures. We have to put this black stuff as the centre of our relationships with anybody, be it relationships with friends, parents, siblings or that special somebody. And do you know what this black stuff is in reality? It is God, God's love.

So thus, my take on love is that its not just an emotion, its the link or adhesive that keeps people with people together and people with God together. Yup, please mind my bad English and not so easy to follow perspective of love. :P

Something written on the Wesley YM Bulletin:
Love is intentionally doing something in Jesus' name, regardless of the cost or consequence of oneself. "My Command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" - John 15:12


In the Faith of Jesus Christ,
Lin Xunliang