What is Love?

When I hear that phrase I immediately think of Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan and Jim Carey

I've been thinking about the term "love" lately, because
-I am recently engaged and preparing for marriage,
-This recent blog, "Marriage isn't for you" has been popping up everywhere
and
-I recently posted scripture about "love" challenging students at Gordon

I think the Greeks defined the concept of love very well. They had four different terms for love and each had its own very different definition. Love was relative to the context of the relationship and situation. In English love is relative and left for interpretation.

These are some examples of how we hear the term love in our everyday interactions:

-I love pizza
-I love basketball
-I love you as if you were my brother
-I love (so and so person)

All of these statements use the term love, but our understanding and interpretation of love is constantly changing with age and experience, along with the fact that we hear it everyday, in so many different contexts, it creates a jumble in our heads.

So if we are called to love others as we love ourselves. What kind of love is Jesus talking about?
Love others like I love In and Out Burger? Or love others like I love the Raiders? Or love others like I love my fiance'? Or some combination of all of the above? How is it even possible to love everyone? That takes, time, energy, money, and those are all finite things.

Love can be shown in so many different ways. For starters, why don't we just try to be nice to people. I find myself sticking out in a good way, because I generally try to be patient with others, try to smile, and ask simple questions like "how is your day going?"  Doing simple things like showing the barista grace at your local Starbucks, because your order isn't out as quick as it ought to, might get you a free cup of coffee (it happened to me).

But the more serious and deeper your relationship is with someone, the more deeper the expectations are for the amount of sacrifice, patience, and understanding you have to give to that person. The hardest part about this is that we're not supposed to keep tabs or records of this love.

If my parents kept record of all of the dirty diapers they had to change, the amount of times I threw up on them, or the lack of sleep they sacrificed during the first 4 years of my life, I don't think I could ever repay them. And that's only the first 4 years of my life! What about the next 14 when I needed new clothes? Or a new CD, or the things I took for granted like a place to live and food. They loved me, so that I would be able to be in a position one day to love others.

Now it's my turn. It's my turn to love my students and work hard for them, so that they can feel more welcomed and included on campus. It's my turn to love my fiance as God loves her. To make sacrifices for her and not expect anything in return (This is very HARD, by the way).

As God sacrificed his only son for our sins, and expected nothing in return. I am called to love through graciousness. Love through patience. Love through listening and to Love through putting someone else before yourself.