On Love

Bish­op John Shel­by Spong, A New Chris­tian­i­ty for a New World, 2001

When we human beings know love, we seem to grow. Love is present in embry­on­ic forms in all aspects of life. It is seen when sub­hu­man species of life guard the hid­ing places of their young, when the tongue of the adult feline crea­ture wash­es the fur of the kit­ten, when the bird flies forth to gath­er food for the help­less occu­pants of the nest, or when two tur­tle-doves cou­ple in a life­long union. But this kind of life-giv­ing love is even more pro­found­ly seen in the human expe­ri­ence, where it can be entered self-con­scious­ly, cho­sen freely, and appro­pri­at­ed ful­ly. The absence of love in the infan­cy of the human off­spring is as lethal as the pres­ence of a fatal dis­ease. The pres­ence of love is the source of both life and growth.

Love is man­i­fest­ed in the human will­ing­ness to ven­ture beyond the bound­aries of safe­ty, to risk los­ing our­selves, and even in the desire to explore the crevices of the unknown. Love cre­ates sta­bil­i­ty, but not stag­na­tion. Love calls us into being; it expands our lives as it flows through us. If love is ever blocked, it dies. Love has to be shared, or it ceas­es to be love. Love binds us into larg­er and larg­er com­mu­ni­ties. Loves frees us from the pejo­ra­tive def­i­n­i­tions that result in exclu­sion. Love tran­scends bar­ri­ers, unites, and calls. Love enhances life.

Cyn is Rick's wife, Katie's Mom, and Esther & Oliver's Mémé. She's also a professional geek, avid reader, fledgling coder, enthusiastic gamer (TTRPGs), occasional singer, and devoted stitcher.
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