Hi everyone, it's the long vacation break and I have decided to read more books this time.
Almost done reading "C.S. Lewis: Readings for mediation and reflection", and there are 2 more books waiting for me to read: "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis (thanks Mabel for loaning me the book) and "Out of the Saltshaker" by Rebecca Manley Pippert (bought from a vcf camp earlier this week).
Can't remember when was the last time I was so looking forward to reading books. I guess books are a good way to provoke us to think deeply about issues in life and to consider things we might not have thought of before.
Recently I have been thinking what are the differences between liking and loving someone, and maybe what I have read probably gave me some idea. In a sense, liking someone probably means it is based on some perceived likeable characteristic/trait of a person and it is probably something quite 'easy' to do.
However, loving someone is a whole new level: we must learn to accept the not so likeable traits of him/her and perhaps a good parallel would be how we are so unlikeable and have nothing to offer to God but yet He chose to love us and restore our relationship with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus. That is the ultimate love. I don't really know how this translates to the human equivalent but the closest would be a mother's love for her child(ren). No matter how bad or rotten a person might be, I believe deep down his/her mum still loves him/her.
I don't know what to say about the romantic sort of love though. Is it a progression from 'liking' to 'loving'? Can it withstand the thresholds of the negative aspects of a person? How does it compare to God's love? For me I have a certain mental model of how it is like to be in love in a romantic sense (thanks to all the cheesy romantic shows), but most likely it would turn out to be very different in reality. Alas, many times I think I fall into the trap of falling in love with the idea of love but haven't yet get to experience the real falling in love with someone. How far am I able to go and accept the not so likeable aspects of someone?
Maybe love is a journey afterall and for us to experience the pains and joys in the process. Another question would be can we be 'prepared' for love or does it just 'seize' us without any warning?
Dean
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4 comments:
"I don't know what to say about the romantic sort of love though. Is it a progression from 'liking' to 'loving'? Can it withstand the thresholds of the negative aspects of a person?"
for me, it was a progression from liking to loving. and yes, it did withstand the thresholds of the negative aspects of that person. in fact, loving the person despite his or her weaknesses brings the relationship to a deeper level. i guess that's why God's love for us runs so deep... because God loves us despite our wrong and sin. He accepts us for who we are and that's what love is :)
i have some thoughts on this as well.. based on what i have read so far.. it seems that love is a more intense form than like.. but i have other opinions leh.. coz there are many forms
for the case of romantic love.. most of the time (if not all).. we start of by having a liking for a person.. and then feelings grow over time.. n u find urself in love with the person..
but God also calls us to love everyone.. now i'm not sure He meant like everyone.. perhaps in some cases.. love is the underlying.. foundational form.. and liking is like the additional stuff..
some people are not very likeable.. but we love them all the same with the love of the Lord.. but doesnt mean we have to like them rite?
haha mayb its just me giving excuses.. but i really think that it is perfectly normal for us not to like some types of people..
fu
hi, sorry i was supposed to comment earlier but i didnt :P
well i think that loving someone is like what you wrote, accepting the person's faults and weaknesses.
personally, i think romantic love and love for others as God commands is slightly different. Romantic love progresses from liking something about a person, such as character and personality and as time goes by, you commit more to the person and hence, thru acts of commitment (like time, helping the person), you love the person.
The love that God commands us for others is accepting and treating each other like how we would treat ourselves. That i think is more like unconditional love, not dependent on how the person is like, or what dislikeable characteristics he/she may possess.
hope this helps
imo...if you are anticipating love or trying to make it happen, it sorta kills it...one can nuture it or provide a conducive environment for it to occur but it can't be forced. Personally I think spontaniety is partially what differentiates 'love' and a mere 'like'.
Not sure if I make sense but its 1220am and my brain isn't functioning optimally ;)
dong
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