FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023 - LOVE WINS

 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023 LOVE WINS

On Friday I write about spiritual things - and generally from a Judeo-Christian perspective.  Today I will quote many Bible verses about LOVE in preparation for Valentine’s Day

The Greeks had three words for love: agape (Godly, unconditional love), Philos (brotherly love), and eros (physical/sexual love).  

When I say LOVE WINS, I’m talking about agape love. Wikipedia says “In Christianity, agape is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". 

Valentine’s Day supposedly is for St. Valentine. “Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his Saints' Day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love.” Seemingly (from 18 centuries ago), he preached LOVE and helped young lovers!! 

So - LOVE WINS (scriptures)

Mark 12:30 - 31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

LOVE is the highest form for God - for the divine, the all-powerful, all-knowing, infinite, all-loving entity that is so far above us that we can only try to understand.  God (at least as I view this perfect being) is beyond time - He (She/It) is everlasting.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.  (1 Corinthians 13) 

(Okay, “Love never fails” implies that LOVE WINS!!!)

And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

*****

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

(WHAT?  Love my enemies?  That’s crazy?  (Or, that is really profound!!!)  LOVE EVERYONE!!

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.  Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. (I John 2)

Note - the following is ONLY an example. It can be the same from the other side.

WHAT - I can’t love God and still not love my brother or sister?  But, my brother and I don’t see eye-to-eye.  C’mon God - my brother is one of those bleeding heart liberals who are in favor of abortion and for letting those dirty immigrants in across the Mexican border.  My brother accepts and endorses Gay Marriage.  He voted against maybe the best President ever (President Trump) and I just can’t stand him!!!!  I CAN NOT LOVE MY BROTHER - NO WAY, NO HOW!!

Ouch - “ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness”.  But, I just can’t do that.

I can (maybe) love my enemies - I can tolerate China and North Korea.  I (maybe) can understand those Muslim thugs who hate us and fly airplanes into our buildings.  BUT LOVE MY CRAZY BROTHER?  NO.

“Love your neighbor like yourself”.  Okay, I can see that.  My neighbors are nice people (generally).  I don’t like it when my neighbor on the north lets his grass grow too long and doesn't use weed killer and lets dandelions grow (and then they blow into my yard and become my problem).  But, okay, I can kind of love them.  And, my neighbors on the south - they are fantastic.  We both had TRUMP signs in our front yards.  We go to the same church.  They are great people!!  (Well, except when Mike - my neighbor smokes in his front yard.  Doesn’t he know that our bodies are the ‘temple of God’ and he is defiling his body by smoking)?

(Again, this is only an example, it could be similar from the Democratic view)

*****

If we (collectively) believe that “God so loved the World that he gave us His son” (John 3:16), with a LOVE that is so vast, so perfect, so infinite - don’t we believe that God can give us a supernatural gift of LOVE so I can love my brother (or my father who beat me, or the gay couple, or the drug addict, or the crazed man who shot up those school children).

In my minimal human view, I’m going to live a maximum of about 100 years.  I believe that there is something behind me when I die.  Maybe it is heaven, maybe it is hell.  And, I’m going to be in that place FOREVER.  If there are two options - and if I get to choose (which isn’t true), I’m picking heaven.  

As an educator, I always gave a final test.  I think God has a final test for me.  It has only one question - “Did you LOVE everyone - yes or no”.  

Maybe I need to rethink my beliefs.  If God can love me (and all of us so much), can’t I also LOVE others back?

*****

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:8-9)

*****

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-4)

*****

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, FEBRUARY 10, 2023