Re: Love, and why I mistrust the idea in a Christian context
The basic idea of ‘love’ in Scriptures is one of combination of attitude and action. FEELING has absolutely nothing to do with it.
In our Western society we pay very much attention to feeling, and forget that emotion in a spiritual/ethical context is worthless unless it is followed by action.
How do we love God? Feeling and praying and singing and shouting hallelujah at the top of our voices has nothing to do with loving God, that is nothing but vanity and pride. There is only one way to love God: Obeying His Law in Letter and in Spirit.
How do we love other people? Telling them that we love them, claiming that we love them, quoting scriptures at them and witnessing to them has absolutely nothing to do with loving other people, that is nothing but chaff, that will vanish. There is only one way to love others: Accepting them as they are and treating them as we would treat God. Period.
So many things have been done and are being done in the name of ‘love’ in the Chrsitian Church, by well-intended people, that have so very little to do with the idea of love in Scriptures that I’d rather not be ‘loved’ at all. Some peoples’ idea of Christian ‘love’ makes me both ashamed of being a Christian and scares me real bad, because if that is love, then how do these people hate?
Blessings,
Henry
For a longer article of the idea of Love in Scriptures:
