Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law
Ambrose Bierce cynically defined love as, “A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder.” He goes on from there, but that snippet suffices to “define” what many think when the term “love” is used in society. Much has been said—and written—about love, of course. Love hurts. Love stinks. Love is many splendored. Love is blind, etc. Yet so much of what we are exposed to regarding love is terribly far from biblical reality, and thus far from truth.
According to scripture, love is a responsibility that has the power to overcome even the darkest circumstances. Love is truly the answer to the ills of the world. This is not a love that concerns itself with the physical and temporal, mind you. Rather, this is a love that transcends the boundaries of human wisdom and effort. It is a love that is modeled by and learned from Jesus Christ. It is a love that minimizes self in order to lift up others. It is a love that does not cry out for what it wants, but cries out on behalf of what another may need. It is a love that overwhelms any force that might threaten to destroy. It is a love that is eternal and God designed. It is the true love that we have learned from our holy and perfect God.
When we find ourselves in dire circumstances, and we do not know how to respond or which way to turn, the best course of action we can take is to love. “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
–Ricky