God is Love.
24 June 2005
In the book of First John, we are presented with the simple phrase "God is Love". The statement seems remarkably simple at first, being composed of only three short words. However on closer contemplation, one begins to get the full taste of this profound description of God. Humans toss around the little four letter word "love" quite frequently, when we in fact have only a fragment of understanding as to the word's true implications. While we in the mortal world tend to equate it to an emotion, or occasionally something deeper, the rich portrait painted by John in his epistle of God is something that delves past the very limit of human understanding.
And yet we try, as always to grasp the concept, because to meditate upon it is to seek out the very face of God. God is Love. What does that mean? It's hard to fathom anything being love, as we tend to use the word more often as a verb than a noun. And while love certainly has the element of action behind it, for one can hardly claim to truly love something without that love inspiring them to certain unavoidable results, love as a noun denotes the substantial reality of the word. Too often we equate love to this ideal that exists somewhere off in the realm of philosophy and ideas, and yet, it is very real and very attainable.
The world today spends a great deal of effort in search of love, as can be seen by the drastic increase in online dating services. People want to meet someone with whom they can share their experiences, their joys and sorrows, with the expectation that this human love will satisfy their intrinsic need for love. And yet it doesn't. Anyone who looks for such fulfillment in a person, even a spouse, will only find themselves disappointed. Don't get me wrong, a lifemate is certainly a blessing, and can be a source of great joy and love, but one must understand that any love we experience is only a reflection of that perfect Love that comes only from God. People often wonder why the divorce rate is so high. I believe it is because people are seeking to fill the void in their life with earthly love without the realization that only Divine Love can quench that thirst. When one puts all their hope in man, one cannot help but come up disappointed, no matter how exceptional one's spouse may be. Even the deepest soulmate cannot fill the role that God is meant to play in our lives, so putting such unreal expectations upon your mate can only serve to set that person, and that relationship up for failure.
But getting back to the question, what does it mean that "God is Love"? The verbs "is, am, are," are all conjugated forms of the verb "to be". The importance of this little word is reflected in its overly frequent use. If you've ever studied a foreign language, it is the first very conjugation you will learn. It is a necessary word in order to convey your sense of being. One cannot even begin to describe oneself without this word, and so we use it in every introduction, every conversation. The fact that God is Love does more than merely say that He feels Love, or that he acts upon Love. It goes much deeper than that. Right down to the very core of God's being, if we stip everything else away, all of history, all of our understanding and misunderstanding, all of creation to get down to the bare essence of what God is, we find Love. That Love which draws us to Him, that Love which the world tries and fails to fulfill with vanity, that Love which makes our frail and insignificant existence team with meaning that would otherwise be lost. And so, in stripping everything down to find the simple truth that God is Love, we find the very foundation for all that is. The entirety of existence revolves around this simply profound truth, that God is Love. Amen.
Vincent Christian
In the book of First John, we are presented with the simple phrase "God is Love". The statement seems remarkably simple at first, being composed of only three short words. However on closer contemplation, one begins to get the full taste of this profound description of God. Humans toss around the little four letter word "love" quite frequently, when we in fact have only a fragment of understanding as to the word's true implications. While we in the mortal world tend to equate it to an emotion, or occasionally something deeper, the rich portrait painted by John in his epistle of God is something that delves past the very limit of human understanding.
And yet we try, as always to grasp the concept, because to meditate upon it is to seek out the very face of God. God is Love. What does that mean? It's hard to fathom anything being love, as we tend to use the word more often as a verb than a noun. And while love certainly has the element of action behind it, for one can hardly claim to truly love something without that love inspiring them to certain unavoidable results, love as a noun denotes the substantial reality of the word. Too often we equate love to this ideal that exists somewhere off in the realm of philosophy and ideas, and yet, it is very real and very attainable.
The world today spends a great deal of effort in search of love, as can be seen by the drastic increase in online dating services. People want to meet someone with whom they can share their experiences, their joys and sorrows, with the expectation that this human love will satisfy their intrinsic need for love. And yet it doesn't. Anyone who looks for such fulfillment in a person, even a spouse, will only find themselves disappointed. Don't get me wrong, a lifemate is certainly a blessing, and can be a source of great joy and love, but one must understand that any love we experience is only a reflection of that perfect Love that comes only from God. People often wonder why the divorce rate is so high. I believe it is because people are seeking to fill the void in their life with earthly love without the realization that only Divine Love can quench that thirst. When one puts all their hope in man, one cannot help but come up disappointed, no matter how exceptional one's spouse may be. Even the deepest soulmate cannot fill the role that God is meant to play in our lives, so putting such unreal expectations upon your mate can only serve to set that person, and that relationship up for failure.
But getting back to the question, what does it mean that "God is Love"? The verbs "is, am, are," are all conjugated forms of the verb "to be". The importance of this little word is reflected in its overly frequent use. If you've ever studied a foreign language, it is the first very conjugation you will learn. It is a necessary word in order to convey your sense of being. One cannot even begin to describe oneself without this word, and so we use it in every introduction, every conversation. The fact that God is Love does more than merely say that He feels Love, or that he acts upon Love. It goes much deeper than that. Right down to the very core of God's being, if we stip everything else away, all of history, all of our understanding and misunderstanding, all of creation to get down to the bare essence of what God is, we find Love. That Love which draws us to Him, that Love which the world tries and fails to fulfill with vanity, that Love which makes our frail and insignificant existence team with meaning that would otherwise be lost. And so, in stripping everything down to find the simple truth that God is Love, we find the very foundation for all that is. The entirety of existence revolves around this simply profound truth, that God is Love. Amen.
Vincent Christian
posted by Vincent Christian | 7:27 AM
2 Comments:
what do u mean ?
but maybe your right
bye
Thank you for your question. Well, it is a difficult topic to simplify, but I will do my best. I suppose the heart of the document means that while love is something we humans tend to pick up and lay down at will, (you know how some days you just don't feel like loving?) it is very different for God, because it is an intrinsic part of his nature, making his love perfect and whole. Does that help at all?
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