The Bible might be unfamiliar territory to a lot of readers (myself included), but the majority of persons may have heard or read the following well-known passage. Found in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, the passage describes the nature and qualities of God/Love:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
By comparison, the egoic love of humankind can seem barren, or lacking, of any “real” Substance. It is a poor imitation, to say the least. Its nature is unstable, and its quality is often dependent on circumstances and/or behaviour. In many cases, this type of love is more appropriately described as the “thought” of love because it exists on the sliding scale of polarity. This is the reason why many persons experience a version of love that runs hot one day, yet frigid the next.
To know and express God’s love, we must become It. No shortcuts exist; there is no other way. We know that we are dealing with real–So Deep–love by the depth of our emotional capacity. To pour forth as that which is pure, we must first be emptied of that which is impure. For instance: If the love that we profess is dependent or tainted by self interest, it is not pure. If there are motives that are suspect, self-serving, or selfish attached to the love we express, such a love is also impure. If there is the faintest hint of getting, instead of the pureness of giving, we are dealing with imitative love. Logically, this makes sense. As God is already everything, what could It possibly hope to gain? If, on the other hand, our love is abundant, non judgmental, and overflowing with sincerity, we have tapped the Golden Fountain of Love. At this point, we aren’t loving “like” God, but “as” God.
Awareness is the key to helping us to express, as much as humanly possible, the shining fullness of our Creator’s Divine Love. Left to his own resources, the guy named “Art” is incapable of expressing Love So Deep; but when he is surrendered, God is enabled to flow in and express a love that is deep, rich, and real.
Dare to dream (and care for one another).
With heartfelt regards,
Art
Copyright © – 2022 – R. Arthur Russell
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If you enjoyed this article (originally published at my personal blog), you can find more of my writing at https://think2wice.me/. My YouTube videos may be found through this link. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. 🙏🧡
Thank you for this post! Especially this: …”this type of love is more appropriately described as the “thought” of love because it exists on the sliding scale of polarity. This is the reason why many persons experience a version of love that runs hot one day, yet frigid the next.”
I appreciate all of that – especially the notion of a sliding scale of polarity — how beautifully and accurately put. Take care!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your taking the time to share such a kind comment! 🙏
As I was reading this, I was thinking, “That’s so good!” Then I’d go on and think, “Ooh, that is too!” It was so on point for me, as someone who struggles all.the.time to keep her ego in check and surrendered to His will. Having said that, I ESPECIALLY liked these points:
“To know and express God’s love, we must become It. No shortcuts exist; there is no other way.”
‘If there is the faintest hint of getting, instead of the pureness of giving, we are dealing with imitative love.”
Thank you for sharing this most excellent post!
Thank you so much for your very kind comments! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the article! 🙏
To know and express God’s love, we must become It. 😍
Yes! Take good care, Todd! 🙏
The ancient Greeks were conversant with the concept of “ideal types.” The Bible verse describes the ideal; but the human experience never touches it. The person who wrote the passage knew that. Humans can strive toward ideals but that’s all. In fact, in modern society, most people are clueless about what love is. The term, “love,” is about as meaningless as the word, “should.” Arguably the Victorian era muddled everything by imposing rigid dogma on beliefs and behaviors that had been more fluid and dynamic. We can’t really perceive the nature of love as described in the Bible because we are looking at it through a Victorian lens.
Thank you for sharing your insights. 🙏