What is love?

I find that love today is often synonymous with romance. We talk about how we love someone, or say that we’ve “fallen in love”. We fight for the right to love, saying that people have a right to love no matter their sexual orientation or marital status.

I acknowledge that there is something unique and special about the rush of feelings I get sometimes when my hubby enters the room. Its almost an ache in your heart, an excitement that the person who means so much to you is near you.

But love is more than that.

I often hear Christians counter the “love is romance and is a human right” motif, with “love is a choice”. But I’m not sure that covers it. Love is a choice? A choice like what kind of toothpaste to buy? A choice as in making a decision to do something we’d rather not have to?

God is Love. Jesus is the personification of what love is. How does He represent love?

Jesus feeds the 5000, He heals beggars and lepers, He comforts, He washes His disciples feet, He teaches, He gives His life. Jesus is love in action. Jesus serves.

Love is serving.

I looked up the often quoted passage on love in 1 Corinthians.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, 5 it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, 6 it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.

A description of perfect service.

Marriage is often held up as an example of ultimate love, as if people that are married are the only ones who really know what love is. “Look, they love each other enough to risk it all and commit to each other!” But love isn’t just being willing to spend the rest of your life (or as long as you’re happy) with one person. Love isn’t just being willing to tell someone you care for them. Love isn’t just having sex or making babies with someone.

If love is serving, than it is a human right no matter their sexual orientation or marital status. But I doubt that it is a right anyone would organize marches for. “Deserve to serve?” Not a phrase I’ve heard before.

I often ask God for happiness, financial security, health for myself and my children. I get upset with God when life doesn’t go the way I’d like, or the way society says it should.

And God keeps giving ME opportunities to love.