Today's homily talked about Christ's love for us and then moved into a talk about what love truly is. While a good portion of the sermon dealt with how love is challenging, there was one quote that really spoke to me, "Love is a decision, not an emotion."
Love, as an all-encompassing power, has become an all-encompassing word. We use the word love now to mean many different types of feelings, desires, attitudes, and beliefs. Like any kind of currency, some people seem to devalue love because it seems to be everywhere. But that is the great thing about love: it can be infinitely divided and yet each division is equally potent.
What I like about the quote is that it gives us power over love. People blame love or the lack of it for many of their problems. Love makes a convenient scapegoat. We all know that people do foolish things for love. We know that "love is blind," that "all you need is love," and that "love conquers all." But if love is a decision, a choice, then love is in our own hands.
People don't "fall" in love or out of love. They choose it. Christ didn't just happen to love us; He chooses to love us, despite our faults and failings. And that is why love is so powerful. It isn't some bio-chemical combination that short-circuits our decisions that makes love meaningful. Love has power and meaning because it is a choice. We choose to love despite the conflicts, faults, and failings. We decide to love in spite of what we see and feel.
Love is a choice, and a powerful one. Our world will be better when more people choose to love, and when more people realize that love is a choice.
Love, as an all-encompassing power, has become an all-encompassing word. We use the word love now to mean many different types of feelings, desires, attitudes, and beliefs. Like any kind of currency, some people seem to devalue love because it seems to be everywhere. But that is the great thing about love: it can be infinitely divided and yet each division is equally potent.
What I like about the quote is that it gives us power over love. People blame love or the lack of it for many of their problems. Love makes a convenient scapegoat. We all know that people do foolish things for love. We know that "love is blind," that "all you need is love," and that "love conquers all." But if love is a decision, a choice, then love is in our own hands.
People don't "fall" in love or out of love. They choose it. Christ didn't just happen to love us; He chooses to love us, despite our faults and failings. And that is why love is so powerful. It isn't some bio-chemical combination that short-circuits our decisions that makes love meaningful. Love has power and meaning because it is a choice. We choose to love despite the conflicts, faults, and failings. We decide to love in spite of what we see and feel.
Love is a choice, and a powerful one. Our world will be better when more people choose to love, and when more people realize that love is a choice.
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