Love

[lunamoth]

Hi All,

I hope others here have interest in a thread on Love. I recall a wonderful thread done two years ago leading up to Easter in which we shared the Passion story verses in fellowship, and I'm hoping we might do the same with this topic.

The following from Corinthians is so rich and inspiring it makes me wish it were also not so popular that it's almost a cliche in today's world. But, maybe we can read it again, putting God and ourselves into the words, God is Love, I am Love, We are Love.

Peace,
luna



1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.(1 Corinthians 13)

[Prober]

Yes, Yes, Yes!

and

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 1 John 4:7-11

All you need is love
love
love is all you need...

Love,
Mark

[wil]

This isn't often pointed out as a scripture on love. But when you consider one who doesn't judge another, who simply tells their story as they see it, who offers information to benefit, who patiently listens, and who simply says, I who speak to you am he...the epitomy of unconditional love.

John 4:6Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

[Cage]

I Love love threads, haha!

Is it wrong to say that Christ was simply Love made manifest in human form? (God's Spirit) 'Love' being the life and light in the darkness that never dies, the "word of God", and that which saves those who choose to embrace?


James


Nice thread, btw

[lunamoth]

wil---one of my very favorite parables, and yes I do see the connection to Love.

I typically see myself as that woman, and I share her longing...I thirst.


prober--amen! 1 John 4 encapsulates my faith! And, don't you think it also answers the question posed by Cage?


Cage--If God is Love and Christ is God, I think you have the answer to your question. Here's a little Meister Eckhart on this:



He who has found this way of love, seeketh no other. He who turns on this pivot is in such wise a prisoner that his foot and hand and mouth and eyes and heart, and all his human faculties, belong to God. And, therefore, thou canst overcome thy flesh in no better way, so that it may not shame thee, than by love. This is why it is written, Love is as strong as death, as hard as hell. Death separates the soul from the body, but love separates all things from the soul. She suffers nought to come near her, that is not God nor God-like. Happy is he who is thus imprisoned; the more thou art a prisoner, the more wilt thou be freed. That we may be so imprisoned, and so freed, may He help us, Who Himself is Love.


+++


It is a hard thing to practise this universal love, and to love our neighbours as ourselves, as our Lord commanded us. But if you will understand it rightly, there is a greater reward attached to this command, than to any other. The commandment seems hard, but the reward is precious indeed.

[Cage]

I know this thread is directed at scripture, but can we offer our own 'personal' views of Love as well? I wrote something about it a few days ago, and it gives a great deal of insight as to what i personaly believe. I'd love to hear everyone's view of Love actually; I think it would be fun, not to mention insightful, to know how others view it on a personal level.


James

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by Cage

I know this thread is directed at scripture, but can we offer our own 'personal' views of Love as well? I wrote something about it a few days ago, and it gives a great deal of insight as to what i personaly believe. I'd love to hear everyone's view of Love actually; I think it would be fun, not to mention insightful, to know how others view it on a personal level.


James

Go for it!

[Cage]

Only if others will do the same.

[lunamoth]

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."

--Mother Teresa

[earl]

Our 5 week-old second grandchild who lives 300 miles away will come to our home in 5 days where he will meet our 8 y.o. grandson, his half-brother, for the first time. I have been brimming with joyous anticipation since I heard the news-first time our grandchildren together ever/first time in our home. Love? Yeah. At times like this I know "God is in His heaven and all is right with the world," (even when it isn't). earl

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by Cage

Only if others will do the same.

Hi James,

Well, the thread will develop as it will, but I would say personal interpretations are very welcome. My own hope is that all offerings here are made in the spirit of love, and not antagonistic to Christianity.

To me, Love is much more than an emotion, it is not desire or attachment. Love encompasses all the virtues, the fruits of the Spirit. God's love for us is unconditional and unconditional love is what we are called to show to each other. It is kindness, empathy, compassion, feeding, healing, touching; it is justice and mercy. These things flow out of Love...Love comes first and is the source.

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by earl

Our 5 week-old second grandchild who lives 300 miles away will come to our home in 5 days where he will meet our 8 y.o. grandson, his half-brother, for the first time. I have been brimming with joyous anticipation since I heard the news-first time our grandchildren together ever/first time in our home. Love? Yeah. At times like this I know "God is in His heaven and all is right with the world," (even when it isn't). earl

Wonderful and congratulations earl! It is amazing the many ways God puts families together. What a blessing.

[Prober]

wil and Luna,

Re unconditional love and the samaritan woman...Never saw it before!
Have to get out my Bible and read it again.


I love love...ahhhhh...and y'all!

Love,
Mark

[Cage]

Take under consideration that when I wrote this I was speaking to an audience of unbelievers. Even so, this IS my personal truth, and what I believe in so deeply.

Love is

Love is more than a mere feeling, or action; it is a divine essence. Love has powers that, when utilized, can heal any spiritual ailment. It leads us towards union with the divine, as the divine’s very essence is Love. When we embrace this “Spirit” we begin to awaken to our inner strength. We become confident, bold, peaceful, and strong. Love is not mushy, or weak, nor is it always gentle, or kind. Love is a lion that can move mountains on a spiritual level. When one embraces love, they are in fact embracing the divine. There is no greater force in this universe than love, Imo.

Jealousy, anger, bitterness, disgust, greed, selfishness, pride, hate, wrath, lust, envy, intolerance and every other spiritual negative can be conquered through love. These are the spirits that hinder one’s inner peace and prevents freedom. The truth is that we are in control every moment of our lives when it comes to our spiritual state of being. We choose to become angry, we choose to become jealous, we choose to envy, we choose hate, we choose to become prideful and if we can choose to embrace these negatives on such a personal level, then we can also choose to embrace love and rid our being from them. This is a simple truth that many refuse to realize. We are in control, and to deny this fact is to deny one’s own responsibility for self.

Far too many want to blame something other than self for their own refusal to embrace the divine. If the divine is in fact love & life, then any man, or woman, or child can come to understand “God“. When love is fully embraced, no longer can the atheists say, “I cannot believe“, and no longer can the child say, “I do not understand“, and no longer can those slow in wit blame their inability to comprehend. All can know and understand God through love, but it/he must be fully embraced to come to this understanding.

Love is universal in application, it is pure, unconditional, it leads us out of the darkness of heart, and lends to us its comfort, its peace, its power, and its freedom when embraced. To put it simply, love is the divine, and all one must do to find peace in this life, or to find that buried treasure called heaven, is to embrace life with love; such was the way of Christ. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (Love)


James

[lunamoth]

That is beautiful James, thank you.

Love is not static; it requires flow, movement. When we participate in love we are particpiating through the grace of the source of love, the Trinity. Love flows from God to us, from us to the world, and back to God again. We can't love but for God's grace, and anything that is not love is likewise not of God.

Who initiates love? When the seeker first turns to God in love, it may seem that he has done this of his own will. But, I think, the originator of love is always God, whether we know this or not. The differential in the movement between the loved and the Beloved is so infinitly small, it's the same as asking who initiates the dance? the one who leads or the one who follows? When the music starts by all appearances they move together in unison.