We have had some valid points discussed on this subject, they have
helped me know more.
Adding my two cents worth -
We worship the Living God. We do not worship "Love". Surely Love is
not God. Yet I see the point made by MKK achen. Neither do we
understand love enough, nor do we understand God enough.
1) So many times in the Bible do we read 'love' of God, His 'Love',
continue in His 'Love', abide in His 'Love' etc.
Love is a very visible attribute of God.
2) We read in the Bible about a "God of Love"(2 Corinthians 13:11)
God is identified with Love.
3) God's love is "everlasting" (Jeremiah 31:3)
We experience that love does not end with death; our prayers for the
departed are witnesses to this fact.
4) The greatest commandment of God is to Love - 1) Love God 2) Love
one another (This means when we reach conflicts, even conflicts regarding our
understanding of His teachings, these two commandments must be
used to resolve deadlocks. See how God simplifies things!)
5) Because of God's love, we have a chance of everlasting life. The
beautiful verse of John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life."
6) Love is a 'Symbol'( a means of recognizing, representation) of
God -- see the verse:John 13:35 - "By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
7) Love of Christ is beyond our limited understanding. Ephesians
3:19 - "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
8) Bible has a clear warning against 'love of money' - "Timothy
6:10 - For the love of money is the root of all evil..." Also
contrast with 'God's Love' -->Psalms 97:10 - "Ye that love the LORD,
hate evil"
9) It is impossible to know God without love.
1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love"
10) Love is initiated from God, we merely respond to His Love.
1 John 4:19 - "We love him, because he first loved us."
11) Living in love (by exhibiting love for fellow beings), is
synonymous to living in God. God yearns us to know Him; by living
with love, one is living with God, knowing Him will be much easier
from there!
1 John 4:16 - "And we have known and believed the love that God hath
to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,
and God in him."
12) If we hurt our fellow human beings, under the pretext of 'Loving
God', Bible is clear that he/she is not truthful.
1 John 4:20 - If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he
is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how
can he love God whom he hath not seen.
So, love is not God. But I am sure that where there is love, God
cannot be far away.
Perhaps I am too naive, but even though there were valid points brought out in
the course of this debate, I cannot help pondering about the triviality
of this debate. Kindly excuse me for the following lines in the para and
please take it in a ligher vein!.
We often associate roses with red color. "Roses are red..." goes many phrases.
But we know roses can be pink, yellow and white in color too. Yet we still
continue to associate red color with roses. Just an apt way to describe roses
in our minds. But does that mean roses cannot be yellow? Or does that
mean 'red' are 'roses'? Smart people, aren't we? Yet we say 'Roses are red!!!'
Why dont we go about debating on that! Or am I missing something here?
For my simple mind, the last words of the beautiful Malayalam
song,"Eeshwarane Thedi Njaan Nadannu"(I wandered in search of God) is
explanation enough - "Snehamaanu Eeshwarante Roopam"(Love is the 'form' of
God).Listen to it from http://www.malayalavedhi.com/
I hope I do not invite another debate on this, this only conveys to me how
closely love describes God.
Let us leave all complex calculations aside, let us look once again at
Calvary. What do you see on the Cross other than Love; unconditional
Love; all encompassing Love; limitless Love; everlasting Love; God's Love?
Living the life as we are today, can we even pretend to understand that Love?
Will it be appropriate to say that when man looked up searching for the God
who died for him, what he could see was love,nothing but love? Just for that
one reason the common man associates love to God, and perhaps errs to say
Love is God, but how significant is his margin of error?
Regards,
Mathew Samuel,
Albany, NY
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/9541
helped me know more.
Adding my two cents worth -
We worship the Living God. We do not worship "Love". Surely Love is
not God. Yet I see the point made by MKK achen. Neither do we
understand love enough, nor do we understand God enough.
1) So many times in the Bible do we read 'love' of God, His 'Love',
continue in His 'Love', abide in His 'Love' etc.
Love is a very visible attribute of God.
2) We read in the Bible about a "God of Love"(2 Corinthians 13:11)
God is identified with Love.
3) God's love is "everlasting" (Jeremiah 31:3)
We experience that love does not end with death; our prayers for the
departed are witnesses to this fact.
4) The greatest commandment of God is to Love - 1) Love God 2) Love
one another (This means when we reach conflicts, even conflicts regarding our
understanding of His teachings, these two commandments must be
used to resolve deadlocks. See how God simplifies things!)
5) Because of God's love, we have a chance of everlasting life. The
beautiful verse of John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life."
6) Love is a 'Symbol'( a means of recognizing, representation) of
God -- see the verse:John 13:35 - "By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
7) Love of Christ is beyond our limited understanding. Ephesians
3:19 - "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
8) Bible has a clear warning against 'love of money' - "Timothy
6:10 - For the love of money is the root of all evil..." Also
contrast with 'God's Love' -->Psalms 97:10 - "Ye that love the LORD,
hate evil"
9) It is impossible to know God without love.
1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love"
10) Love is initiated from God, we merely respond to His Love.
1 John 4:19 - "We love him, because he first loved us."
11) Living in love (by exhibiting love for fellow beings), is
synonymous to living in God. God yearns us to know Him; by living
with love, one is living with God, knowing Him will be much easier
from there!
1 John 4:16 - "And we have known and believed the love that God hath
to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,
and God in him."
12) If we hurt our fellow human beings, under the pretext of 'Loving
God', Bible is clear that he/she is not truthful.
1 John 4:20 - If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he
is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how
can he love God whom he hath not seen.
So, love is not God. But I am sure that where there is love, God
cannot be far away.
Perhaps I am too naive, but even though there were valid points brought out in
the course of this debate, I cannot help pondering about the triviality
of this debate. Kindly excuse me for the following lines in the para and
please take it in a ligher vein!.
We often associate roses with red color. "Roses are red..." goes many phrases.
But we know roses can be pink, yellow and white in color too. Yet we still
continue to associate red color with roses. Just an apt way to describe roses
in our minds. But does that mean roses cannot be yellow? Or does that
mean 'red' are 'roses'? Smart people, aren't we? Yet we say 'Roses are red!!!'
Why dont we go about debating on that! Or am I missing something here?
For my simple mind, the last words of the beautiful Malayalam
song,"Eeshwarane Thedi Njaan Nadannu"(I wandered in search of God) is
explanation enough - "Snehamaanu Eeshwarante Roopam"(Love is the 'form' of
God).Listen to it from http://www.malayalavedhi.com/
I hope I do not invite another debate on this, this only conveys to me how
closely love describes God.
Let us leave all complex calculations aside, let us look once again at
Calvary. What do you see on the Cross other than Love; unconditional
Love; all encompassing Love; limitless Love; everlasting Love; God's Love?
Living the life as we are today, can we even pretend to understand that Love?
Will it be appropriate to say that when man looked up searching for the God
who died for him, what he could see was love,nothing but love? Just for that
one reason the common man associates love to God, and perhaps errs to say
Love is God, but how significant is his margin of error?
Regards,
Mathew Samuel,
Albany, NY
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/9541
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