""I think we need to view scriptures in the light of God's true character which is love!" (The Ledge)
"Spiritual love is serious. To say that God's love means He is OK with whatever choices we make is to overstep the quality of love entirely." (BB)
"Love is not indifferent to living righteously. Love is the fulfilment of all righteousness. And "tolerance" (that is, the practice of stomaching the indecent practices of others) is not a virtue, but a necessary evil. Mercy, on the other hand, (the practice of forgiving someone for what is acknowledged to be evil) is a virtue. " (BB)
"I read about Jesus and I see him embracing people within those sins - drunks, prostitutes, and thieves (that should be a song Chris). Top that off and Jesus broke cultural barriers in relations with Samaritans and Romans - and also broke Jewish laws (including the sabbath and touching lepers). It seems to me Jesus looked through religion and saw the hope of these people - and simply loved them. He loved them without a real good social reason to do so - even for his times. But if we are gonna question the nature of love then we have to question Jesus' love in that also - he seemed to not make rules within which his love existed or would exist" (Svs)
What is the definition of biblical love? Are there a set of rules that set out a guideline for the basis of our love to others? Can our love be limited? Just what is this love that Jesus spoke about?
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Here is something to ponder through then...we are commanded to Love one another, so if someone murders your loved one and is known as a murderer and in essence that is what that person is by definition of the court then are we loving the murderer and what he is, or are we separating what the person has done, and identifying that we don't like or agree with the act, and loving the human being that he is?...if I am looking at this issue in the perspective that you are?...
We are all human beings...but God does not pre-ordain what choices we are going to make in life, we are not robots...hmmm...that is my perspective...
Good thoughts, mg.
Hi society,
keep in mind who Jesus is. He knows us better than we know ourselves. His love is the agape variety, not driven by emotion or erotic impulses. Add to that His intelligence and it begs the question, what do we know? In the process of desiring to understand Jesus we become little by little more like Him. That's our greatest reward.
Take care.
Trying to define "true love" or "biblical love" is like trying to define God. I think that God's love is far more complex than we can comprehend. Even the love that we are capable of is awesome. I remember the first time I fell in love. I hate to admit it but I am a romantic fool. I have to choke back tears when the boy finally wins over the girl in many movies. But do you remember how you felt when you first fell in love? It is an awesome experience! Are there words to adequately describe it? Oh sure, you can say that all you want is to make the other person happy. You would do anything and give anything just to please your lover. Many ways you could try to describe the feeling, but until you experience it for yourself you have no idea what love is.
There are various other types of love but I think they are all similar in that they can only be known through experience.
It's not our love that loves coz that's flawed. It's Gods love running through our veins injected in us by the Holy Spirit who is alive and living and comes to reside in the hearts of those who are knowingly or unknowingly following Christ.
This love is 'agape' It loves the sinner while hating the sin. It does not judge,condemn or have boundaries. It accepts, embraces, encourages and nutures. It fills us with a desire to reach out and love the lost, the least, the suffering and the rejected.... much like Jesus did. It's that same Spirit which lived in Christ that lives in us and does the loving thing right....
To paraphrase Paul Tillich, he spoke about love as that reality that reunites what has been separated.
Paul in I Corinthians spoke about love in a powerful way in the 13th chapter. "Love never ends."
Jesus spoke about love of God and neighbor in his answer to the greatest commandment.
Those are general descriptions. How we work out the reality of love in specific situations is a task that is our highest calling and one in which we never fully are able to complete.
I think love begins when we see each human creation as the image of God. If we could see in everyone the divine reflection, how would we treat her or him?
Thanks Society for moderating this discussion.
John
C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves" really goes deep with the four Greek words for Love, "storge'", "philia", "Eros", and "agape". After reading that book I realized that I didn't know anything about love. Storge is natural love, love for food, love for familiar things, a mother's love for a baby, etc. All love begins with Storge but if it doesn't develop into a deeper love, like eros (between the sexes), or philia (brotherly love- two people looking at the same goal with that in common), or agape (that love pouring from the Holy Spirit-loving creation as God's expression of his love, for instance) it can become sour and selfish. For instance, a mother loves her child for some very real chemical reactions that take place in her when she holds and nurses the child. If a mother simply loves the child for the pleasant reaction she gets for doing so then she stays in storge love and you can imagine where that will lead. Christians are called to love with agape love. This is just a quick summary but if you really wish to put some words to the concept of "Love", read the book. Its awesome. I got the audio and listened to it with my teenage son we both grew in that 2 hours.
Jason, a song is in the works!
Yay Chris! I love the title.
I recently watched a documentary on Evangelicalism in the good old USA and the variety of ways people use to 'sell' this gospel. I was rather appalled at the direction of the church (in some senses) and the waste of money in a capitalist system.
Many of the evangelical ministers seemed to view the tieing of politics with faith as the answer, that old 'let's re-claim this country for God - so get out and vote'. It was a very conversion based thing and the varities of the gospel was endless - wrestling, voting, rodeo's, putting up crosses in states, rallies, car shows, etc. It seemed to me they were using Jesus' name in such a variety of ways that it lost a lot of it's real intent - that personal-ness and message Jesus taught.
Mel White, a former ghost-writer for Jerry Falwell, was on the show (who is now not afraid to be gay), and he still attends the services of Jerry Falwell. I applaude that man for his bravery - he both wants to know what they are planning and also faces up to the intimidation of the church - alone, mind you! I really felt for that guy - standing in their midst and still loving this faith - yet taking their slings and arrows.
But love is the answer. I watched that show and couldn't help but feel that if the church could stop wasting it's time on a political agenda and start looking towards a more social agenda - things could be a lot different and real change would happen. Maybe the church shoudl be a support system for the broken and lowly of this life - and start living the message that Jesus taught. The church needs to get involved in people's lives and stop the badgering of people and of the law - and start concentrating on loving others - I felt like Mel White - in tears at the churches lack of love.
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