Love is…

Crystal A Murray (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Never having to say your sorry?
Do you remember the popular saying which grew from the tag line to the Love Story movie? For me, this was playing out in a chaotic part of life complete with teenage angst. I’m not sure any teen likes to admit defeat or say sorry since they mostly feel they are always right. But something about this statement always bothered me. Apparently, I wasn’t alone.
In 1970, an Australian artist named Kim Casali was drawing adorable little characters surrounded by hearts and proclaiming many statements about what “love is…” based on her real feelings for the true love of her life. She changed the movie quote to say, “Love is… Being able to say you’re sorry.” I agree, and I was fascinated by her story and the baby she had by her husband 17 months after his death. Read it on Wikipedia if you want to know more.
Because love is far more than a few words, or even a world full of books, there’s no way to put all of what love is into a single blog post. I can tell you that in the parts of speech, love can be a noun, a verb (that definition became a book series), or an adjective as in love language (which also became at least one book), but it’s so much more than speech. I can tell you about what love is in my own life, but that would take far more than one story. So, I decided to ask Gemini for 10 examples of what “love is” from Bible Scripture. Here are the statements it came up with along with Scripture references. I added links to the Bible.com site (or app if you have it) from the World English Bible (WEB US)….
* Love is patient and kind. It doesn’t rush to judgment and responds to harshness with gentleness. (1 Corinthians 13:4)
* Love is sacrificial. It is defined by the willingness to lay down one’s own life or interests for the sake of another. (John 15:13)
* Love is an action, not just a feeling. It is expressed through “deed and truth” rather than just words or speech. (1 John 3:18)
* Love is the fulfillment of the law. When we love our neighbors as ourselves, we naturally uphold all other moral commands. (Romans 13:10)
* Love is the “perfect bond of unity.” It acts as the glue that holds a community or relationship together in harmony. (Colossians 3:14)
* Love is the evidence of knowing God. Because “God is love,” those who truly know Him will reflect His character by loving others. (1 John 4:7–8)
* Love is not self-seeking. It does not insist on its own way or demand its own rights above the needs of others. (1 Corinthians 13:5)
* Love is a choice to forgive. It does not keep a “record of wrongs” but chooses to move forward in grace. (1 Corinthians 13:5)
* Love is courageous. It casts out fear, allowing us to be vulnerable and honest without the dread of punishment. (1 John 4:18)
* Love is eternal. While other gifts and seasons pass away, the value and impact of love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:8)
My challenge to you readers is to come up with your own, personalized, list of what love is. You might say something like, “Love is my husband making me the perfect scrambled egg breakfast with green peppers, tomato, onion, and goat cheese.” Yes, my hubby really does that, and I taste the love he thinks he’s adding without my seeing it. 😁 Put your list on pretty paper to remind yourself of the love you hold on the days when it’s hard to remember. And never forget that God’s Holy Word is His love letter to us and that every good and perfect gift is love coming from Him.















