How To See Love

                          

What is love?  What is the definition of this four letter word that we toss around so often these days?  How can we eve be sure of what love really is? 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

If you take a closer look at that beatitude from Matthew 5, there is something really beautifully significant in this simple sentence.

What is love?  What is the definition of this four letter word that we toss around so often these days?  How can we eve be sure of what love really is? 

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

In 1 John 4:8, God is defined as love.  Love is not simply an attribute to God, or one of his characteristics. He is not ever-ancient, ever-new and loving.  His very essence is LOVE. 

So what if we place the word 'love' into the above beatitude?  It would read:

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see LOVE.

True, authentic, will-the-good-of-the-other-as-other love requires a pure heart to be visible.  Without pure intentions, love is just another four letter word ruled by emotions.  With a pure heart, loving others becomes an incredible opportunity to participate in who God is. 

So if you have to ask what's in it for you, or how you can benefit, it's not love.  That's not a pure perspective.

Granted, because of the fall, we will never be able to experience love at it's fullest form : AGAPE love.  This is one of the four Greek loves.  Agape means an unconditional love that is in a constant state of selfless giving and never is self interested.

Human beings can't give this love - only God can.  He shows examples of it throughout the history of His love story with the human race, but one of the key points is at the crucifixion.  Christ takes on a human nature and empties His life on the cross for us.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1015 says, "The flesh is the hinge of salvation.  We believe in God who is creator of flesh; we believe in the Word made flesh; we believe in the resurrection of the flesh, the fulfillment of both the creation and redemption of the flesh."  

God's Agape love poured out in a human nature...that's love.  Give up your only son for a people who don't take time to notice His presence in their daily life...that's love.  That is a love that stems from a pure and Holy heart....and that can only be seen through the lens that is not smeared with a hint of lust.  

Paul wrote to the Ephesians about this topic.  In chapter 5 verse 3, Paul said:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

Why is the presence of impurity so improper for a Christian?  Because it takes away the ability to recognize the presence of authentic love.  And when you cannot see authentic love, you are unable to see God's work in your life.  God is love.  

So to see love in the world around us, we must look at others with a giving heart.  In relationships with family or friends, a self-interested core will always taint the ability to see love.  If you look for what you can get out of something, you have missed the point of true love.

God gives us people to love and things to use....not people to use and things to love.