During my teenage years, most of my friends were into singing, playing music, and songwriting. A few months ago the lyrics to one of the original songs that we sung came to mind. The song was written by a close family friend/cousin (if you're black you know what this means):
Love is needed in this world today In special way Needed across the land So that everyone will understand About God's love
Christians should be the personification of God's love. The only way the world will know about God's love is if we demonstrate it to them in how we live our lives and how we treat them, help them, and love them.
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." John 13:34-35 (The Message Bible)
Leave a comment describing what love is to you. You don't have to be spiritual! An example could be: Love is...a mother looking proudly and smiling widely as her child gives a speech or love is...hearing your grandparent tell a story for the 25th time but listening to it like it was the first time.
I have been reading about conflict and disputes in some of the recent blogs--so it is a great relief to know that we also have the opportunity to return love.
What a deep question!!! What is love to me?
I would have to say it is embodied in this advice that a spiritual mentor once shared with me: FIND YOUR HAPPINESS IN THE HAPPINESS OF OTHERS.
If we even tried that...it would be such a different world.
Love is not based on anything outer or superficial; such as looks, money or titles. But I am not talking about the kind of 'unconditional love' that many people think they are expressing when they accept abuse. So there are 'conditions' before you should even think of giving your love; which again are that freedom, justice and equality have to be present between the two people in question.
Love does now keep a record of wrong. Which does not mean that wrongs should just be forgotton; they need to be looked at, discussed and corrected (healed) and forgiven.
Love is slow to anger. Which does not mean there is no anger - but all anger stems from our own dysfunctional emotional life - so again it would need to be addressed and healed.
Love in itself is not an emotion, but emotions are part of love as they are simply a part of being alive and a hueman being.
Love is given freely; but again - on the conditions of CARE, COMPASSION, and COMPLIMENT being present. It is not so that we all simply 'deserve love' no matter how bad we act. There is no progress without struggle - and that goes for love aswell. It is not about finding the 'right' person it is about being the right person.
Love is not controlling, it includes the freedom to be who you are. Any need to control is based on the insecurity of both the controller - and the one who allows for control.
Love is God and God is Love - Love supersedes all else.
Thursday, June 3rd 2010 at 6:16PM
Siebra Muhammad
