Washington: ‘Simply put, all love is His love’ - The Atlanta Voice

(Photo: James A. Washington)

There is a universal saying that “love conquers all.” In the secular world, the reference is to the power of emotional love that compels men and women to do extraordinary things, if not always prudent.

Love, in this light, can move us to do the unthinkable at times, sometimes with positive and many times with negative results. One of the reasons for this inconsistency lies with yet another saying, “Love is blind.”

Again, in the secular/physical world, nothing is as reckless as blind love.

Now if we take the same saying (love conquers all) and apply it with biblical perspective, it takes on a whole new meaning; for example, God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son.

The greatest commandment is love of neighbor as yourself. God is love. Out of love, we have been saved. I could go on.

The point is that from this perspective love takes on a set of characteristics that can only conclude with positive results. It is here where I am reminded that secular love often times comes with conditions, while spiritual love comes with none.

By this I mean that love in the biblical sense is an unconditional state of being. This love is constant. It is a state of mind. It never ceases to exist no matter what you or I do to try and kill it. It never ceases to be and it never ceases to give.

Love by any other definition, other than unconditional, is not love.

It is a perversion of God’s great gift to us. Love, like faith, requires covenant. It must be grounded in a relationship.

I am moved by Daniel’s prayer,…”O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with all who love Him and obey His commands…” Daniel 9:4.

I must tell you that this sums it up quite a bit for me on this subject. Love begets love. Anything other than unconditional love, begets something less than unconditional love in return.

Now I know I just slapped somebody, who is wondering why they are being treated less than they want to, when in fact, they are treating the target of their affection with a conditional contract.

It just doesn’t work that way. So the question becomes how do you love someone? Basically, according to scripture, you get what you give. As a matter of fact, scripture would indicate that you can’t have anything real happen in your life unless it’s based around the love about which I am speaking.

Our entire existence is seen from the perspective of love of family, love of mother, father, son, wife, daughter, husband, fellow man and yes, even God.

Jesus was crucified based on this level of love.

I submit to you that our obligation to each other should be an attempt to love ourselves in such a manner that we recognize God within us and thereby see God in others.

We are then in covenant relationship with self, each other and therefore in line with the covenant that God has with man. The end result must be a positive outcome. Even in death, Jesus’ crucifixion had a positive outcome consistent with the will of God the Father.

Our challenge is to differentiate the unconditional from the conditional and then act accordingly.

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16. In this context, love indeed conquers all. How you living these days?

May God bless and keep you always.

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