Where's The Love?

According to the Beatles, "All You Need Is Love".

The Captain & Tennille told us that "Love Will Keep Us Together".

So where IS the love? I've been thinking a lot about this today...meditating on what I know some folks believe...thinking about what I believe and why. All we need do is tune into the local news, ride the wave of the internet upon our virtual "surf" boards....all we need do is look around and we see anything...everything but love. Hate crimes, murders in churches, Sunday school teachers who "appear" to have violated precious trust. Where IS the love?

I bet if I were to walk the streets of the tiny, coastal town I call home, and randomly ask people to define "love", the answers would be as varied as stripes on a tiger (no two tigers have exactly the same stripe pattern. But that's another topic).

Defining love is sort of like defining "good" isn't it? I have a definite opinion of which Chinese dishes are "good", which movies and songs are "good", and of what makes me "good enough" for this or that. Every person on the planet has a definition for "good". So it is with "love". We "love" certain people, certain foods, hobbies, places, etc. As I reflect upon these things it occurs to me that the definition of "love" in these instances is usually based upon how these people, places, and things make us feel. This is not always true, naturally, but if we're honest with ourselves it IS true much of the time.

To me love is not synonymous with tolerance and acceptance. Love is ideally to be unconditional.
Real love, life-changing, world-changing love, is displayed IN SPITE OF what some may say needs to be tolerated or accepted. Love is meeting someone where they are at the moment. No judgment. Love is also honest, however, and will always share the truth with its object.

AHA! So what is truth? Hmm...again, each human being alive will have a different opinion of what truth is. Is it absolute? Does it change based on times and circumstances? I leave that to you, my friend, to ponder in your heart and mind. I'm convinced, however, that these three: love, goodness, and truth must be considered together. How can one truly exist apart from the other? I look forward to hearing from you. Until then, be blessed always..in ALL ways....Peace be yours....

T