The Bible speaks a lot about love. The two most significant commandments, according to first century Judaism, were to love the Lord God and to love your neighbor. And, of course the establishment of these “laws” was first indicated in the Mosaic covenant of the Old Testament. Then with the advent of Jesus, love continued to be a focus with the proclamation of the “Good News,” the Gospel.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (Romans 3:16)

Even apart from Judeo-Christian religion, there is much emphasis on love, as we try to find our way in life. But the term love isn’t clearly defined. We can love another person, love a sunrise, love a job, love some flavored yogurt; we can love all kinds of things.  It’s odd how that word is used. The blur, of course, is in the use of the term to cover all manner of affections. You can really “enjoy” a sensation like riding a horse or jumping into cool water on a hot day; you can “appreciate” an event like a baseball game or a ballet; you can “adore” something that someone gives you, and you can care about someone to whatever extent you are willing and able. In the process, you can say that you love whatever happens to be the object of your affection. I guess that’s alright. Language is elastic. There’s a dynamic to language that causes it to change over time, and because of its elasticity meaning is often attributed to the circumstances in which the term is used. That’s alright too; it can be fun to play around with language: use a term unexpectedly, or even use a term improperly just to get a laugh or to confuse whoever you’re conversing with. If something’s important enough, clarification can be gained by questioning the source of the language being used. If you’re talking to someone you can simply ask for clarification. If you’re presented with something in writing then you may need to collaborate with the author. If that’s not possible then you can ask someone to help you determine the meaning. If you’ve read some of my posts, you can probably see where I’m going with this. The ultimate communication that we’ve received is from God. I’ve indicated that the Bible is the platform for understanding pretty much everything of real significance. And the Bible has a lot to say about love. But what does it mean? In order to determine the meaning of any word in scripture we need to familiarize ourselves with the language used in the Bible we’re reading. For most people that will mean gaining knowledge of the language that is commonly used in their environment, finding a translation of the Bible in that language, and reading it with the intent of understanding it. That’s the starting point. It is the case that the meaning of something written in a language that we’re familiar with may still be elusive depending on what’s being discussed. If there’s a reference to something concrete like a cow, or a tree, we can get the picture fairly easily. But some words are more flexible and can be used in a variety of ways. If someone has a lot of work to do, they might say they have a “mountain” of work. The term, mountain, is used to express a visual representation of how much work is to be done. On the other hand some words have a meaning that is essentially elastic because what is being expressed by the word is not easily understood. I think love is such a word, at least as it’s used in the English language.

The importance of this is made evident when we consider that love, affection, and appreciation can reflect not only how we feel about something—or someone—it can also indicate facets of our lives that reflect our understanding of ourselves…and our world. Being infatuated with the things we own indicates features of a system of values. We love our car, our house, our…whatever. If we give significant attention to the “things” that we own, then it suggests that value is linked to material objects and their acquisition. On the other hand, if our focus is on the affection that other people show toward us, then our value system is rooted in that source of affection. Family, fame, or simple notoriety provides what is of value in this posture. The values suggested in such circumstances may be benign depending on how much focus they’re given and where they fit in the larger scheme of things. Having nice things and appreciating them isn’t harmful if those things are secondary to other more important facets of life. What’s more important than the stuff you own? Many people would probably say family. For better or worse those who share our blood or our vows provide value to our lives…or not, depending on the condition of our family connections. But family is just one version—perhaps the most important version—of a value system based on not only how we feel, but also how others feel about us. Such values can be derived from simple notoriety that solicits recognition from people we don’t even know. People become famous for all kinds of reasons. They may do something well, like playing baseball, or singing. Or they may do something horrendous like mass murder! In either case value may be derived from the notoriety achieved.

The question is what do we value and how do our values affect us? If our focus is on ourselves then what we acquire in the way of recognition and the accumulation of possessions defines us. In both situations we “love” what we give our attention to: the stuff we have or the people that are closest to us. Is that wrong? The short answer is yes. If we’ve been reading our Bible for a while then we probably know that love is to be directed toward the Lord and to other people.

One of them, a lawyer, asked [Jesus] a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” And He said to him,

“‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND ALL YOUR SOUL, AND ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)

And yet having things—loving them?—utilizing them, and enjoying them, isn’t necessarily a sin. And loving our family is appropriate too…right? I would say it depends on what our understanding of love is, and the value “system” that expresses and informs that love; which gets us back to the use of language. The Bible—both the Old and New Testaments—says that we are to love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves. However, the flexibility of language lends an element of instability to our understanding. We need to think about this. Do we love the Lord the way we love our car, or our spouse? Maybe…and that’s the problem. What are we even talking about? When we love someone are we saying that they reside on the pinnacle of our value system? Or are we saying that we derive our own value from their adoration of us? I’m thinking that it might be both.

The crux of the issue may be recognized by the sequence of the “golden rule.” That sequence suggests that real and appropriate love can only be found in relation to the Lord. He is love. He obtains the greatest value and is the source of our capacity to love appropriately; signifying that love that’s divorced from God is not love. We may use the term, but unless the Lord presides in our value system it isn’t really lov3; He’s the source of our capacity to love genuinely. People who attempt to love, or are recognized as a source of love are insufficient unless they’re functioning in concert with the Lord. Anything that is recognized as love apart from God is merely a facsimile, and that facsimile can amount to idolatry. It may appear in a variety of circumstances some of which are difficult to detect, while others are more obvious. The love of family can certainly be idolatrous while appearing, at the same time to be appropriate. Without giving the Lord the recognition that’s due Him, love of family may amount to a compromise in relation to our love of God. Such a distinction can only be recognized through seeking the Lord in earnest and being willing to respond to what He might reveal to us. The ultimate example of this is Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice his son on the Lord’s command. (Genesis 22:1-13) Of course the Lord didn’t allow Abraham to follow through with his son’s execution, but the episode made clear where Abraham’s affections lay. In the same way we all need to come to terms with the manner in which our affections are focused; and love of family can be one of the most difficult areas for us to clearly understand in this regard.

Without God in the equation at all, love can be expressed in the most appalling manners. I remember seeing an actress receive an award for her performance years ago, and by way of thanks she stated how much she loved the world. When I heard her say that I just cringed. A lot of people—Christians and non-Christians alike—can love the world. However, such love is not often expressed in such a blatant manner. For Christians the source for our understanding of anything is scripture as we’ve already suggested. The Apostle John made it clear in one of his letters when he said:

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

For the believer, distinguishing the nature of their affections and the legitimacy of their focus can be difficult in our American environment. Love of family is a central feature of American life and can be expressed in a variety of ways. Those who know the Lord need to be on the alert in order to establish a proper love of family without allowing that love to become idolatrous. Too often I think we’re focused on the extremes of ungodliness in this society; paying close attention to issues regarding childbirth, gender and rule of law, while neglecting the more subtle expressions of values exhibited in the way family life is conducted.

It really comes down to our understanding of what love actually is, and I think our understanding is diminished because of our limited understanding of God. As John pointed out, “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) This tells us that to know what love is we must know God, and realize our understanding of the Him is limited. However that limitation shouldn’t deter us from continuing to press in to know the Lord, and to understand love in the process. In thinking about this, I’m reminded of an interview I saw recently in which a man discussed his research regarding “near death experiences”—NDE’s. He’s a Christian and a former pastor of a large evangelical church in Austin Texas, and in the course of his research he’s interviewed a great number of people who had these experiences. They were people who were on an operating table or involved in other life threatening circumstances who had left their body—seemingly—and encountered “heaven” in the process. I know that sounds far-fetched but his research has been quite extensive lending legitimacy to his findings. What seemed to be indicated in the interviews with these people is that for many what was experienced was a circumstance in which love was experienced in a manner free from the influences of the world—just for a short time. And the experience was so profound that, for many, it changed their lives drastically. The experience turned them around, setting new directions for them to follow, new goals to pursue. I’m not saying that all became Christians; I’m saying that their understanding of life was altered. And that’s really what we need as believers. The Love of God and the nature of our Lord are profound in the extreme, and we’ve never experienced it without the baggage of this world clinging to us. We need to seek the Lord in earnest and pursue an increasingly clear understanding of Him as love, not settling for the facsimile that is filtered through our experiences of this life. You can’t exhaust the possibilities this side of heaven, and I’m convinced that such a quest can reap great benefits that are less and less encumbered by the limitations of this life.

Peace and Joy to you all in Christ!