Love and everything after
I got into a conversation yesterday with one of the two readers of this blog about love. Perhaps it's my disdain for theories about the human experience (which inherently fail to encompass the dynamics associated with life), but I feel I must say that love isn't one of the things that I feel can be condensed into theory. Of course, this wasn't the actual topic but merely a peripheral thought.
So why, you might ask, do I feel that love should not be placed into theories? I think the basis for love is out of the scope of human comprehension. There hasn't been (to my knowledge) a scientist who has ever pinpointed what allows one to love another. As humans, we've figured out how control states of mind (depression, anger) and isolate factors that contribute to basic sexual drive. I do not believe, having rather pompously convinced myself research into the topic is unnecessary, that the human race will ever figure out how to obtain true selfless love in a scientific manner.
The topic of conversation yesterday was whether or not loving someone is difficult. I whole-heartedly do not think so. Relationships, however, are difficult. To borrow from a quote I heard long ago, I think that finding someone with whom you become the person you want to be is much more challenging. Love, as defined by on of the oldest and most controversial books around (Bible) has a seemingly impossible "checklist" for what love is. Yet, when in love, the list begins to look more like a diary then a recipe. This is not to say that I believe that anyone ever has all of the elements down at once, but I do believe that love is love. I feel that it is our own desires, which are able to put our mind and body where our heart is not. People are inherently going to fail at times. This brings me to another topic, is love enough? I believe yes. If faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains and of faith, hope, and love, love is greatest, then I must deduce that pure love is pretty damn powerful.
The topic of the blog is love and everything after. So, for the "everything after" part I don't believe there is such thing. According to the famous neo-bob dylan philosopher, Paul Simon, "love is like a window in your heart, everybody can tell that your blown apart, everybody can see the wind blow." How do you move past the most powerful feeling in the world? I am starting to believe that we are able to move on in a few ways: lying to our hearts, out of necessity, and forgetting. I do not believee that love ever truly goes away, but even in an introverted form it serves as a reminder of the goodness in life.
So why, you might ask, do I feel that love should not be placed into theories? I think the basis for love is out of the scope of human comprehension. There hasn't been (to my knowledge) a scientist who has ever pinpointed what allows one to love another. As humans, we've figured out how control states of mind (depression, anger) and isolate factors that contribute to basic sexual drive. I do not believe, having rather pompously convinced myself research into the topic is unnecessary, that the human race will ever figure out how to obtain true selfless love in a scientific manner.
The topic of conversation yesterday was whether or not loving someone is difficult. I whole-heartedly do not think so. Relationships, however, are difficult. To borrow from a quote I heard long ago, I think that finding someone with whom you become the person you want to be is much more challenging. Love, as defined by on of the oldest and most controversial books around (Bible) has a seemingly impossible "checklist" for what love is. Yet, when in love, the list begins to look more like a diary then a recipe. This is not to say that I believe that anyone ever has all of the elements down at once, but I do believe that love is love. I feel that it is our own desires, which are able to put our mind and body where our heart is not. People are inherently going to fail at times. This brings me to another topic, is love enough? I believe yes. If faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains and of faith, hope, and love, love is greatest, then I must deduce that pure love is pretty damn powerful.
The topic of the blog is love and everything after. So, for the "everything after" part I don't believe there is such thing. According to the famous neo-bob dylan philosopher, Paul Simon, "love is like a window in your heart, everybody can tell that your blown apart, everybody can see the wind blow." How do you move past the most powerful feeling in the world? I am starting to believe that we are able to move on in a few ways: lying to our hearts, out of necessity, and forgetting. I do not believee that love ever truly goes away, but even in an introverted form it serves as a reminder of the goodness in life.
posted by Keith Erickson at 1:08 PM
1 Comments:
Whomever could you have had that conversation with??? ;)
I like what you have to say abouthe list in the Bible for love looking more like a diary than a recipe. But I thin kwe should also remember that in Greek there are four words for our one word of LOVE. And while eros, or philo, we cna experience fully here, I am not sure we can every experience the fullness of agape. We experience a little in our relationships with our parents and children, but I think the sin inour nature stops us from fully experiencing it. And that is the Love that JEsus had for us, the Love the He died by, and the Love we are called to live in. And that love of being other-centered, that is hard. I think you are right in saying that when we have are in it, it doesn't feel like a chore, but I also think that we have it, it is only by the gift of God. So it is not our power en el fondo (at the basis) anyways. Gosh, you better come out here so we can debate this over a chai latte someday!
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