Why is it that we humans are obsessed with this thing called love? Why is it that love is an inescapable presence within our everyday life? Whether we are active about it, or try to deny it, humans are constantly seeking out love in their life. Love of a spouse, parent, partner, friend or even pet; we are presented with an endless list of possibilities. Our minds are innately centred around love.
One of the greatest things that pulled me towards faith was love. It was when I felt the most love for those around me, that I felt the most love for the Higher Power, and also from the Higher Power. Equally, when I felt love for and from the Higher Power, I felt a greater connection of love towards those around me.
There is an inimitable beauty that is found from love, and it is from within that beauty we often feel connected to a Higher Reality. It isn’t rare for our most esteemed romantic partners, or those closet to us, to take upon a spiritual status within our minds — often becoming like a spiritual guardian to us. Love is the thing that supposedly brings us the greatest source of happiness, and hence, when engulfed or entirely infatuated within love, we often feel most inclined to worship the Higher Reality.
So, what can we conclude from this evident connection between Love and a Higher Reality? Because it’s not just individuals — Religions appear to be fascinated by the concept of Love, as well. For a few examples:
- One of the most well-known, and in my opinion, potent quotes of the Christian Holy Bible comes from John — “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). God is Love. That simple, three worded phrase, can put the world into perspective. God is love, and so if we are “made in His image” (Genesis 1:27), we can conclude that we are likewise creatures of love.
- Founder of the Bahá'í Faith taught that humans should turn to God in love, for He created humans due to His Love for them. It goes on to teach that genuine love is divine, and proceeds from all humans, and God.
- Muslims are instructed to become close with Allah, for this is how they gain His love. Moreover, it is an essential principle for the Ahmadi Muslims that they love all creatures of God.
- Hinduism teaches of the distinction between kãma — a pleasurable love — and prema — an elevated love. Love, within the Hindu religion, is seen as a sacrament.
The world is dominated by Love — on the surface, it looks to be every single persons worst nightmare.
Now let’s take this a little further;
Commonly, I had heard people say that God created humanity because He loves us — an answer that, too me, had always appeared flawed and simplistic. However, with this new appreciation that God is Love, this begins to make sense — God created us out of Love (i.e. out of Himself) because He wanted to share His eternal Love. Think of the common example typical parents; two people, utterly in-love with each other, choose to create a child to share their love with, whilst also becoming an embodiment of their love. Thus, we are creatures of love; made as embodiments of it, and to worship in its glory. It would certainly explain why we can’t watch a film without a love-story appearing somewhere.
Thus far we have established this;
- Human beings are utterly fascinated with Love
- Religions have established Love to be of vital importance to faith
- God is Love, therefore, we are creatures of Love.
So, what happens when we put these things together?
Recently, Annie Kagan claimed to have had an experience with the afterlife. In her account of the experience, she states that she came in contact with her deceased brother. Whilst she was prepared to credit the experience to be her grief speaking, she says that her brother then “began sharing cosmic secrets to [her] that [she] couldn’t ignore”. Her recount of her eighth secret goes as follows:
“8. At the centre of everything is an energy, an immaterial material called LOVE. Wow, and how good it feels, this LOVE. You can’t imagine it. You really can’t. There is no way for you to experience the full power of LOVE while you’re on this plane. .”
I’m in no position to make any judgements to the validity of this experience, nor will I try and persuade anyone to believe either way. My inclusion of this simply goes to support the possibility that the essence of the Higher Power is ultimately that of LOVE.
Potentially in saying, “God is Love” we could more simply be saying, “Love is Love” or “God is God”. Could potentially that essence of life have the essential characteristic of Love — could it even ultimately be just that; Love?
There is a spiritual reality to Love, far greater than we can possibly perceive. We cannot trivialise it as an idle human desire or need — the nature of Love is far greater than that. We are made up of Love, and so is the world around us. All religions, and most personal philosophies, centre around the instruction to Love one another, and give Love to the world.
I think it’s about time that we all start to obey that conviction, for it is potentially the most important of all.
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