The question of “what is Love” has been written about and discussed for many thousands of years, and for good reason. The question of what Love is, is an extremely important one at every level from the physical to the Spiritual.
In this blog post then we will take a closer look on this question of “what is L:ove”.
The word “love” has been used to describe everything from the initial chemical attraction between two people, to the most profound and ultimate meaning of Divine Love in Spiritual terms.
To take a closer look at what Love is we will turn to a most profound and true verse in the Christian bible.
“If I speak in the tongues a of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
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.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
But when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
~ 1 Corinthians 13
Let us now then take a closer look at the meaning of this profound verse, phrase by phrase, to discover what Love is.
“If I speak in the tongues a of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
This phrase states that a person may have certain gifts or abilities such as “speaking in tongues”, but if not practiced from the Heart then such abilities are completely meaningless.
“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”
Again the inspired writer of this verse reminds us that no matter whatever abilities a person may covet, or how much faith they can profess to have, unless this truly comes from the Heart, from Divine Love, it is meaningless in terms of what Love is.
“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
This phrase states the truth that altruistic gestures, no matter how generous it appears to be, and carried out simply to claim or show others the person seems to be, it is utterly meaningless if such gestures do not truly come from the Heart out of Unconditional Love.
“It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
This phrase affirms the profound truth that if a person judges others or seeks to “put them down” in some way, or becomes angry for any reason, or keeps a record of supposed “rights and wrongs” then it cannot and does not come from the Heart and is not what Love is.
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
Love is never ever happy about unloving acts or words of any sort, but the Heart glows and responds with Love with acts amd words of truth which inspire and uplift others.
“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
This phrase affirms the truth that the Heart, is always true to inspiration, and is always true to itself and the Divine Love within.
“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
This profound phrase affirms the truth that mere spoken empty prophecies words and talk are transient and sure to fade away in due course, never persisting, never enduring as these are not what love is.
“For we know in part and we prophesy in part,”
This line states the fact that most everyone believes they know things and can predict the “future” to the extent that the “future” even exists.
“But when completeness comes, what is in part disappears”
This profound phrase asserts the truth that once we have trult trancended the influence of the ego, and are truly as one with Unconditional Divine Love, then all else dissolves and becomes what it really is – completely meaningless.
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”
In answering the question “what is Love, this phrase illustrates the comparison between developing as a child to adult and evolving from the ego towards Divine Unconditional Love from and within the Heart.
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
This phrase states that having evolved towards Divine Love and transcended the influence of the ego, the “old” ego bound life fades and gives way to the most profound truth and reality of Who we Truly AM.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
This final phrase states the profound truth that when completeness comes, while having true and hope faith are meaningful and maybe embraced, there is only one Ultimate Reality – True, Unconditional, Divinie Love. This is what Love Truly Is.
The Great Mystic, Divine Messenger and Healer who came to be known as “Jesus” taught answered the question of What Is Love:
“Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
“Love your neighbour as yourself.”
“As I have loved you, love one another”
“The Kingdom of Heaven is Within us all”
Love God With All Your Heart.
Love All People With All Your Heart.
Love Yourself With All Your Heart.
Love All Life With All Your Heart.
And So It Is.