SpeakLove – Chiara Talluto

Love is love, but love is better when you love in truth.

I’ve made some observations lately on Love is Love. It’s made me think about things in a new perspective and I’d like to share those insights because it’s all I’ve seen on social media, T-shirts, mugs, mouse pads, temporary Facebook profiles, etc.

Love is…

But…

Dictionary.com defines Love as:

Noun

A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
A feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
Sexual passion or desire.

In my humble opinion, love is baggage.

You know why? Because humans love in different ways…and sometimes to get our way. Just look at the dictionary’s description: passionate affection, personal attachment, sexual passion, etc. These are biased reactions.

“If you loved me, than you would (fill in the blank)…”
“Please, please…do it for me.” You show them your puppy eyes. “I love you…”
“Do you know how much I love you?”
“Do you know the sacrifices I’ve had to make because of you?”

And the list can go on, can’t it?

We love the addicts because we think we can change them,
We love abusers because we’re afraid and believe what they’re doing is really okay,
We love to please people because we want to fit in even if don’t agree,
We love things more than people,
We love our phones more than people,
We love our pets more than our family members,
We love food,
We love the wrong things because we were never taught about real love,
Some don’t even know love because of their culture/religion,
Some have never experienced love and what it feels like, and live their life in an apathetic state.

The word “Love” is overused. Love has been overrated. The use of love has lost its luster. Love should be… Loving one another in truth because love is loving in truth.

Loving in “truth” to:

Love our best friend to tell her/him that what they are doing is wrong,
Love our spouse to tell him/her that they are hurting themselves, you, or others,
Love ourselves and accepting who we are because that is how God made you,
Love each other regardless of the color of one’s skin, gender, or political affiliation.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 puts it all in perspective for me. It is one of the most famous scriptures in the Bible for wedding ceremonies, but in reality, this is our greatest gift to one another.

I’ve attempted to break it down using my mortal mind, that is, how I’m interpreting this scripture passage. (I invite you to meditate on this on your own.)

¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

(You can be the most successful person, but if it’s all fake and you don’t mean what you say, you’re really dead inside. )

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

(You can be the best scientist, doctor, police officer and know how to solve problems and crimes, and come up with remedies for diseases, but go about your life without passion, care, or regard for humanity, then you’re just going through the motions.)

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

(These are the church-goers, religious types, and elites who only show up for presence and posterity, and not worship. Then when Monday comes around, they’re back to sinning.)

⁴Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

(A true Jesus follower will be persecuted and mocked all their life because they refuse to confirm to worldly things. They are not jealous and pompous, and will rejoice in another’s blessings, and put others first.)

⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

(A believer of the Lord will be humble. Will not boast upon themselves, and is not easily angered. He/she will always believe in the goodness of others. )

⁶does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(A believer cannot rejoice in the evils of the world, even if they’ve become isolated or ostracized from society, they are willing to make that sacrifice, and not deter from living righteously in the eyes of the Lord. They are also hopeful that bad circumstances can change for the better, giving all the glory to God.)

⁸Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

(All these things of this world will pass. Love can change a heart. Love endures forever.)

⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

(We can plan all things on our own, but God’s plans are better and sometimes He will put us in situations to bear our cross and lean on Him for help.)

¹¹When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

(Reading the Bible is a growing process. What you learned when you were a child can change when you become an adult. At some point, we have to grow up and take responsibility for our learning. And one of the main learnings that has remained constant in understanding God, is that He loves us. We need to believe that with all our heart. We learn about ourselves by loving others.)

¹³And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

(It’s a simple act of faith and hope to learn to love one another. We must love in the truth of loving others.)