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Thank you for sharing the news of that movie, and your own journey with your family through life. We have our families thrust upon us, there is no choice involved, I think we're doing ok under the circumstances. As we age our souls will be ironed out I am sure, just look at the improvement in your financial acumen after only a few years of maturing as an example of how we change.
Things are always changing aren't they?
This was brought home to me one day when I and a friend nipped into a pub in London during a rainy summer lunchtime in 2001. As I was enjoying my pint of Guinness, I looked at the water droplets slowly evaporating from my umbrella. I was spellbound. It gave me great comfort to see it. I am not sure why. Just to know that the clock is ticking, that change is always among us, even if we don't notice it - that nothing stays the same no matter how much we wish it would. For me, a "perfect" moment. Thank you Guinness :-)
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You asked ...
1. What exactly is "love?"
2. Are we able to really comprehend how "love" manifests itself in a creator God?
3. If I'm unable to understand the concept of "love," am I then unable to appreciate the love God supposedly has for me?
4. Is it possible that I've never really loved anyone, ever?
Ah, the easy ones :-)
1. People have been asking this for ever. But as you know, nothing can be exactly defined due to the uncertainty principle - but I will have a go at approximating what love is. Let's start by me saying what I believe love not to be.
You remember in the film Moonstruck where Cher's mom would say "Do you love him?"? And if "yes" then that was bad, because those ones "will drive you crazy". To me this is not really love although many of us mistake it for love. This is hormonal stuff, lust, infatuation all that good stuff. It's a very good substitute for love, but not something I would define as love.
Love to me is when the other persons happiness is more important than my own, I'm not sure that love can be fully expressed when there is sex involved, which is the opposite to what most people would say. But I think physical relations detract from love rather than enhance it. Okay I know this is an unpopular view, but I think it's backed up in part by The Bible. At least that bit was innerant :-)
Love is part and parcel with missing someone when they are not around.
Love can be whatever you define it to be, but it's always a positive thing, positive being relative of course.
Hmmm, I realise I failed to define love. It's a configuration of mind ... a welcome sensory imput ... a positive thing.
2. Well the only sense we have of this is from The Bible. We can thank God for creating us, which is an act of great love, something that He did not need to do. He also promises us a fabulous time after death, forever, and that's not all bad either. Really though, we cannot know the mind of God.
3. I think you are able to understand the concept of Love, because it is kind of inbuilt in you. But if you were not able, say through a mental disorder, then I think that it would indeed be difficult to appreciate it from another, God included.
4. Possible, but unlikely I would say. I don't think it gets any better than this. But if you define love to be something that you have never experienced then yes - you will never have loved (so far).
How would you answer your own questions? And a subsequent question, do you want to be loved? (Note: we all assume that love is a wanted condition, but this is an assumption nontheless).
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I'm going to grab a brandy now (I know, spoiled. No cigars however :-( ) And will phone my daughter who is attending a party in Norfolk (the real one, not the one in Virginia) around midnight to see if I can wish her a Happy New Year. Oh and to send the now expected tens of "Happy New Year" SMS cellphone messages ....
Life is good, let's enjoy it while we can.
Happy New Year Brother.
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