Love
How many songs celebrate the elation of love, the drama of love, the joy and triumph of love? How many others extol the heartache, the sorrow, the tragedy and messiness of love? How many movies depict the complexity, tenderness, intimacy and downright craziness of love? I believe the many variations are rooted in the popular experience of falling in love, which almost always eliminates reason and fact from the experience of love. On the other hand, psychologists and self-help gurus often encourage us to choose love wisely, which often fails amidst the mystery of love.
Just look at the titles of love songs and love stories, and significant lines that are a part of the compositions. If you take some time to do so, you will find all kinds of philosophies and expressions of love. Some will make you cry.
My friend and theologian Jack Shea says, “In our struggle to love, we incarnate God in the world.” I love that statement for many reasons, but among them is the redemptive nature of love’s drama.
As is often cited, we have only one word in English to express LOVE. The Greeks and other languages, including sign language, have several.
We have an extended commentary on love in our scripture readings for Mass this weekend.
From the first letter of John, “…love is of God.” This is a reminder of love’s origin and our very ability to love. It goes on to say, “God is love.” We can’t get much clearer than that statement, which is not only a metaphor, but a profound statement of belief. The passage continues, “This is love, not that we love God, but that God loves us.” This statement puts our profound love into context. The fact/belief that God loves us is more significant and foundational than our love for God.
The Gospel, also from John, quotes Jesus directly: “Remain in my love.” How do we remain in the love of God through Christ? The answer is if we keep the Commandments. Using the word IF sounds conditional, doesn’t it, particularly when reflecting on the unconditional, abiding and remaining love of God for us?
Let us consider the Ten Commandments, with an added emphasis on the word love. Let us consider all ten statements, including the word love. Some are more obvious than others.
• Love God (and Love Neighbor)
• Love the One True God, don’t love false gods.
• Love God’s name
• Complement your personal Love and praise for God with communal Love and praise (in the Eucharist)
• Love life, ALL LIFE
• Love your elders, mentors and their wisdom
• Live out the exclusive, committed Love you have promised to one other person
• Don’t steal Love from others
• Pursue the truth to which genuine love leads. Love in truth and for truth.
• Love what you have, not what you desire.
Through these Commandments Jesus promises to remain in us as God remains in him, and he concludes with an eleventh Commandment:
• Love one another.
He goes on to give us a reason for this commandment. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” Joy is one more emotion that these readings connect with love. Often, we can ask ourselves what gives us joy, or why we feel so joyful at certain times? As we contemplate our experiences of Joy notice that love is never far away. Joy and love are never far away from each other. They often mutually generate each other and flow from one another.
The final aspect of love that is presented in the Gospel this weekend is Jesus’ statement, “It was not you who chose me, it is I who chose you.” Similar to the realization that God’s love for us is more significant than our love for God, the choice of the divine for us is more significant than our choice for God. We choose humanly. God chooses divinely.
This weekend’s scripture passages have a lot to say about Love. Let us ground our love for one another in the love that God has for us, and God’s primary choice of and for each of us.