Love is Kind . . .
Love is Kind ….. this phrase, to me, sums up the word, “love.” Too many times in my life I’ve had negative experiences with people who say they “love” me, only to discover that kindness is not one of their natural instincts. When I was a child my father would discipline me with tears running down his face. It actually hurt him to punish me. Then, when it was all over he would enfold me in his arms to assure me of his love. Kindness. Gentleness. Patience. All equate to love. Wikipedia.org says this of Biblical love:
The Bible speaks of love as a set of attitudes and actions that are far broader than the concept of love as an emotional attachment. Love is seen as a set of behaviors that humankind is encouraged to act out. One is encouraged not just to love one’s partner, or even one’s friends but also to love one’s enemies. The Bible describes this type of active love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
“ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ” Romantic love is also present in the Bible, particularly the Song of Songs. Traditionally, this book has been interpreted allegorically as a picture of God’s love for Israel and the Church. When taken naturally, we see a picture of ideal human marriage:[13]
“ Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealously unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. ” The passage dodi li v’ani lo, i.e. “my beloved is mine and I am my beloved”, from Song of Songs 2:16, is an example of a biblical quote commonly engraved on wedding bands.
The Bible states love is a characteristic of God. I John 4:8 states “God is Love”. In essence, God is the epitomy of love – in action and relation. It is God that first loved mankind and desired a relationship. (John 3:16-17) Love is the underlying drive in most people. The search for love seems endless within the human race, throughout the ages.
The Bible defines God as being the completeness of love. Love, as being defined by Him, is demonstrated in his character and personality. Another way of defining this type of love is “godly love”, a love shown through the example of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, this “sacrificial” love can also be expressed by humans, although imperfectly. For example, the love of a mother for her child. Many mothers would sacrifice anything for their children. It is this type of love that the Bible teaches us to follow and to share with one another. Love, in the end, is truly a sacrifice, ultimately expressed in the crucifixion of Jesus as described in the New Testament.