My apology to my readers...Some of you know that I have had some serious health and other related issues recently. That's the bad news. The good news is that I am almost back in the saddle with the proper temperament to begin writing again.
It's hard for me to imagine a term in any language that is more abused in our daily lives than the simple word, "Love." This universally misunderstood, but critical element of the human experience has had many of us, including me, searching for a meaningful and useful explanation. If you have read any of my previous postings, you know that my source for genuine knowledge and understanding is singular. The Holy Bible is a remarkable book for many reasons, but consider this one in particular today. These Books were written between two to three thousand years ago, and they remain as applicable to our daily lives now, as the day they were penned...That is the macro look at Scripture, now for the micro look.
The average person will live 75 years these days, and many who read and study the Word of God have yet to appreciate the fact that what you read as a teenager, has nothing to do with what you read as a young adult, a middle age success or an old age vintage wine like myself. I find that there are two processes going on simultaneously, that frankly are far more than amazing. As you gain tiny bits of wisdom from God over your short lifespan, the Bible changes with you. It is almost as if the words and their meaning have a life of their own that somehow keeps up with your personal growth with God.
I find that the same is true with love. When you were a youth, you thought like a youth and felt like a youth, especially when all the hormones kicked in...Remember thinking that you were in love and couldn't bear the thought of living another day without that special person in your life? Those feelings were natural and God given, but had little to do with love. Later on in life, you looked for other things, because after all you needed someone that you felt comfortable having children with for the next five to 10 years. So in addition to good looks, your prospective spouse had to stable, successful, and self-confident. Still later in life, you hoped that no matter what decision you made about the person you thought you loved, that they would always be respectful, considerate, wise and fun to be with for years to come.
With God there is no maturation process over time. He exists without time and its contraints physically or emotionally. His example of love never looks at the exterior of a person, including their looks or size of their wallet. If you are blind or missing a leg or arm, he does not care. If you are tall, short or just plain ugly, he does not care. If you are short and fat with a bald head, he does not care. If you are black, white, brown or red, he does not care. What God loves is your pure soul. His example of loving every soul that He has blessed with the breath of life, is called "agapeo." This Greek word and other expressions regarding love be in the next post.
Media today has us fixated on all things external. Men need washboard abs and hair transplants. Women need special hairdo's, bigger breasts and complete makeup lines to go to bed pretty and wake up prettier. If all else fails there are face-lifts, chin-tightening, lipo-suction and pills. Pills to make you happy, to make you sad, to lift you up, to take you down, to keep you awake, to put you to sleep, and on an on...
The first lesson in divine love is that exists on the inside, not the outside.
The Digital Disciple
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hearing from you is certainly not a requirement. Consideration of what is researched and written is all I ask of anyone who stumbles upon my writings. I believe that my God will take it from there. With His help I try to separate fact from fiction, sense from nonsense, and ultimately clarity from chaos.