February 2015
Theme: Love
What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Long before Tina Turner posed the question, “What’s love got to do with it?” in music, the world’s religions invited reflection and offered teachings related to love and its practice in the world.
By the time Jesus came along, for example, Judaism had a long established teaching on love that instructed followers to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus agreed with this teaching but he seems to have also felt the word "neighbor" was being taken a little too literally. For the people of his day, “neighbor” was understood as one’s countrymen, one’s own kind, so to speak. So Jesus, reflecting on the ancient teaching of his faith, rewords it slightly, ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” (Matt 5:43-44). Here Jesus cites both ancient scripture, “love your neighbor”, along with its then popular interpretation -love your own kind and hate your enemies- and restates the teaching. In doing so, he invites us to transcend the limits of the literal or popular interpretation of the day associated with that teaching.
For many in our own time, Jesus’ call to “love your enemies”, is problematic. The question I most often hear or am asked about this teaching is, how can one “love” one’s enemies? Here, I find, more often than not, the issue is not really how but what? or “What’s love got to do with it?” In other words, “what is love” in the context of this teaching?
You are welcome to offer your reflection/response to this question below.
What is Love? Well, my parents told me - you'll know it when you feel it! Just this morning I watched a program on Animal Planet with my daughter in which they were studying "love" in the animal kingdom. There were many (a whole hours worth) of examples of animals that took care of each other, protected each other and even mourned each other above and beyond the basic requirements of survival. There were behaviors and interactions that could truly only be explained by the animals ability to love. I was surprised to discover that animal love for one another has been widely accepted by sciantists for the past 20 years. My daughter knew the concept well. Whatever "love" is - it is primal and necessary for survival. I don't think of it as something that needs to be taught but rather something that needs to be tapped.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. It serves as an excellent reminder that we human beings aren't the only creatures privileged with the capacity to love and be loved.
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