The Shape of Love?
One such thing I have noticed popping up more and more among Christians is the refashioned image of love. We quickly assume we know what it is: to show love is to affirm the feelings and personal interests of another. Granted, sometimes that is how love is manifested. But as far as a definition goes, it’s not quite what’s presented in the scriptures. Nobody today disagrees that we need more love in our society. However, if you ask someone what the word means, you’re likely to hear something about being nice and letting people alone to do and be whatever they want.
The most succinct definition of love in the Bible is found in 1 John 4:8: “God is love.” It’s important to note that it doesn’t merely say God is loving. In other words, love is the essence of the totality of God’s being. It is not just what He does, it is what He is.
Some are drawn to this definition because it allows us to call out anyone who does something that we consider insensitive or unloving as working against or opposing God. The logic appears to be sound: if God’s essence is love and we claim that His Spirit indwells us, then love is what we should be all about. And someone who isn’t loving is thus “Godless.”
However, if we’re going to take this definition seriously, it seems to me that we first must determine what God is like so we can then know what love is really like. Only then can we conclude whether what we feel love ought to be fits with what has been revealed about who God is. To be faithful to this definition, we must start with God. If we begin instead with what we personally believe love is or should feel like, we end up shaping our image of God, and love, after ourselves. Thus, we would be saying something more like, “My idea of love is God.” We would then be on the pathway of worshiping an image rather than the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth.
This possibility should concern any follower of Jesus.
What is God like?
This is a big question. Moses asked to see God while he was on Mount Sinai. God agreed to let the man see only His backside (not sure exactly what that means). But the way it’s played out in the story is this: “And [God] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished’” (Exodus 34:6-7, NIV).
This self-disclosed description of God is an interesting mix of kindness, mercy, and justice. The first three quarters fits easily into my natural picture of the loving, tender character of God. That last phrase about not leaving the guilty unpunished, however, is a bit jolting. Yes, when God describes Himself, He starts with His compassion and graciousness. But the picture isn’t complete without also reminding Moses that He is unique and holy. Sin does not find a resting place in His presence.
If then God is love, love must be composed of who He is: compassion, grace, faithfulness, forgiveness and the execution of justice and righteousness. Can love really be all of tha