"Christians who refuse
To look squarely into the suffering of Christ
Are not Christians at all.
They are a breed of pretenders,
Who would turn their backs on the cross,
And shame his death.
You cannot hold up the Cross,
Nor drink of the cup
Without embracing the death.
And you cannot understand love,
Unless you first die."
-The Dance of the Dead 1959
I caught this quote today as I was reading Ted DeKker's book When Heaven Weeps and as I read the news of the destructive earthquake which ravaged Japan this morning. The last line really got me. You cannot understand love, unless you first die. That's hard to wrap my mind around. We have to die before we can fully understand love?
Here's how I take it; we can't ever know what true love is if we don't except that it is only possible because of Jesus Christ's death. and we can't experience it if we don't also die to ourselves for the love of others. We can't experience love unless we raise other's above ourselves. Our enemies, our loved ones, the ones across an ocean that we don't even know.
Maybe we will love the people in Japan who just lost everything but their lives. Maybe we will love the orphans. Maybe the single mother, the single father. Maybe we'll love a fellow peer that sits next to us...someone we would never talk to in any context. Maybe we'll love by giving away ourselves, our very life, our very breath, to others. Maybe...
We'll love.
But will we today? Or will we be the pretenders, who look at the cross and turn from it to look at our own image in a shiny mirror.
If love can be commanded, is it an emotion or is it an action? I feel like our culture displays love as a pleasure we get from possessions or people. We think of love as something that doesn't involve commitment or time. If it isn't convenient at the moment, we leave. That's obviously selfish; it shows that we are most concerned with our own comfort. That isn't what God intended love to be. It's supposed to be about serving others. Because we are sinners, will we ever see perfect love (other than in the Bible)? Why do we tie the term 'love' to be an emotion rather than an action? Are the actions of love a result of the emotions of love or is it the other way around?
ReplyDeleteEden your such a deep thinker, I love it! One of these days we'll have to have you as a guest writer!
ReplyDeleteBut I totally agree with you, the world we live in today doesn't love for the right reasons...or even know what true love is. Even as Christians I don't think we can ever fully understand the power of Christ's love for us, we are after all sinful humans.
In my opinion love is both an emotion and an action. Love is an interweaving of so many things. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud..."(1 Corinthians 13:4a) Love is an emotion: for some it is shallow and grounded on selfish wants and needs. For others the emotion spills over (and should for Christians) into the action love.
But there's also a twist here: what if you don't have the emotion love in your heart and soul for a person, possibly a needy person, are you called to use the action love still? In a circumstance were you feel nothing or even feel the opposite of love?
And when God says in his word "Love your enemies" what does that mean? is that only the emotion or is he stringing in the action and all that comes with it. Is every kindness and cutesy still wrapped up in that one word?
I don't have all the answers, but pondering questions like this is really strengthening! Thanks for the comment Eden. It really brought some interesting insight!
I know this doesn't go totally with what Eden is saying. But, it has to do with LOVE.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad and I went out for coffee this past week and my dad was asking me how I thought my sisters showed and received love. It made me really think about peoples different 'Love Languages'. Some receive and show love through hugs and hisses, some through spending time with the people they love and some through words. My dad said that the person you are showing love to, doesn't feel the love unless you are speaking their 'love language'.
So, I challenge myself (and those who read this)to look around you and find what kind of love language your family (and friends) speak and show love to them. (in their language)
For you don't know what the next day will bring and it might be to late to tell/show them you love them!
~< In order to show love to someone, you FIRST have to learn to speak their love language.>~
Good point, Wynter! I think that it is easier to 'speak' my mom and sisters' love language than my dad and brother's. We girls just need someone to listen to us and our struggles, but finding how the boys in my family need love is much harder! Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteFor my dad, I think he enjoys spending time with the ones he loves, like playing games or talking!
ReplyDeleteI think boys enjoy talking about themselves. Not bragging, but talking about stuff they are good at!?! Or I suppose they also like doing active things.(like shooting archery, you could go with your bro sometime and watch or shoot with him) I am not really sure since I don't have any bros (!YET!). Shaidyn :), you have 3 brothers, do you have any suggestions???
My brother enjoys playing football, basketball, baseball, soccer...anything physical! I don't play at the level he likes; pouring sweat isn't my favorite thing to do. Since he likes to shoot his bow, I tried it with him for a month, but I wasn't very good at it. I might have to give it another shot. Thanks, Wynter!
ReplyDelete