Love. This is one of the most desired and most sought after things in this world and yet, this world still seems to be full of hate. Why is that? Everybody wants love but it seems like at every turn, we find hate. We look at the news, we see terrorism, we see wars, we see division and hatred between people of different races, religions and political affiliations/beliefs and we see violent acts as a result of those differences. We see our friends get cheated on in relationships, even though it seemed like they loved each other, then that love suddenly turns to hate, suddenly we don't seem to even know what love is anymore, we can't find it anywhere and we ask ourselves, as the artists (Black Eyed Peas) of one of my favorite songs did, "WHERE IS THE LOVE?"
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Even though I've never been a huge fan of the Black Eyed Peas or listened to a lot of their music, I do love this song. They ask a legitimate question that we all ask, and address a lot of issues that make us beg that question. We all want to know where is the love? Here's a few reasons why I think we can't seem to find it:
1: We don't even know what (or who) Love is!
So many of us think that when we find something or someone that makes us feel good, we've found what or who we love. Our world's definition of love is based on how something or someone makes us feel, and how we feel is conditional upon how that person or thing treats or pleases us. When our feelings change and the thing we loved so much doesn't please us anymore, it's over. The warm and fuzzies grow cold with the seasons and our love is constantly dependent upon how that person or thing makes us feel. If our feelings are lost, then the love is lost. In order for us to have a love that is constant and stays, that love needs to unconditional and defined by actions. That love needs to be willing to sacrifice in order to prove that they truly love the person they say they love. It can't just be based on feelings. Those feelings have to turn into actions that are not based on how the other person makes you feel but solely based upon how much you love that person. True love requires sacrifice. But where do we find that kind of love? That brings me to my next point:
2: We're looking in the wrong places
We're constantly looking for love and affirmation in things and people that change about as often as a baby needs its diaper changed. People get tired of things, I mean there's a new iPhone every year. We look for permanant love and satisfaction in things that pass away, because we don't know what or who love is. The unconditional love we need can only be found in the author and person of love Himself, God. God is love and "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."-Romans 5:8. Even when people were spitting in His face, hating on Him, cursing Him, He still died for us and them. In order to find love we have to first find it in the author and person of it, then we can show love toward others, because we have experienced real Love. But there still seems to be so much strife going on, why is there so much hate, racism, political violence, terrorism, I still don't see the love! Why doesn't that unconditional love transfer into the real world?
3: We've lost our love in difference of opinion
Just look at everything going on in the United States right now, people are fired up with hatred, acting in violence, fighting and arguing over who others are voting for! Over our different experiences, over our different opinions on racial issues, on religious issues, on political issues. Honestly, It's ridiculous! Where is the love? Our political ideology, our race, our status, our religion, even our experiences should not be excuses or reasons to hate. We're all still human, just because we disagree with someone completely or even hate what they believe does not mean that we should hate them. We can still show love and respect to people who think and act differently than us, we should even try to see things from their perspective and find out why they believe that way before we let hate boil up inside. It may be tough sometimes but in order to find the love, we have to show it, unconditionally. Even if we are presented with hate we have to respond with love. Jesus said in John 13:34, NKJV: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." He loves unconditionally, and verse 35, "By this all will know that you are my disciples, that you have love for one another." People ought to know us by our love for each other not by our differences of opinion.
Love is no longer love if it's conditional, this world's kind of love, this culture's kind of love is conditional. The only love that we'll always be able to find is the unconditional kind. Where is the love? We all need it! it disappears when it becomes conditional.
