Loving God is another door to
“merciful gifts and powers.” Loving another human being is as common as eating
a meal, yet discovering how to love God is not as easy. There are obstacles,
some which may seem insurmountable. If you do discover the love of God, what is
its highest level? I have an answer for this question, but I am not sure if it
is right. Perhaps, you have something to say on the topic. Read on…
Devotion
For the love of God, and them that serve Him, arise to aid this sublime and momentous Revelation. Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction. Consider the war that hath involved the two Nations, how both sides have renounced their possessions and their lives. How many the villages that were completely wiped out! (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 13) |
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (King James Bible, 1 Corinthians) |
Deeper
Learning
Think for a moment of all the people
you admire: your heroes. They could be your parents, your children, your spouse,
a friend, a neighbor, a teacher, and even someone you have never met. What is
the common bond in all of these relationships?
Isn’t it an emotional and spiritual connection that causes your fascination for
them to grow? You want to know everything about them: you hang on their every word;
you help them in difficulties and even confide in them. Adoration for your
heroes is a result of a love that you have for them. It is a selfless attraction
to a person, object or idea: to know and to love are inseparable.
Love is manifested at all levels of our
existence. Even before we take our first breath we are immersed in our parents’
love. Every atom, molecule, cell and organ obeys the law of cohesion to form a
whole. Our bodies stay close to the earth’s surface by the pull of gravitational
force. Human interactions throughout our daily life are highly dictated by the
degree of love we feel for others. The pursuit of art, science, business and
hobbies are all highly driven by passion.
Without the force of love, disintegration
is sure to come. After death, the attraction of elements disappears and the
body begins to decay until all the organs, cells and molecules break down into their
simplest forms. Lack of love at a social level leads to a break down in
friendships, families and societies.
What is love? How can one define the
unseen, unknowable and immeasurable? Though love has been discussed, examined
and glorified in thousands of books, yet our human capacity to understand this
emotion in all of its aspects is limited. One thing is clear, however: for
those who have experienced love, tenderness is felt in the heart. This experience
is common in all kinds of love, whether it be for a person, idea or for God. Love is as vast and as complicated as
creation itself and no one can confine it to words or size. The purpose of this
presentation is to consider the subject of love, the cause of our existence. Living
without love is like living without sunshine.
In the previous blog post we looked at the
knowledge of God. But no one can truly know God without love. In the Bible it
is said: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (King James
Bible, 1 John). Whatever I mention here about love is only a drop in an ocean.
To further understand this most
essential power, I did a light survey of several religions and discovered, as
expected, that love is the central theme in every tradition. For example in Buddhism,
God is not specifically mentioned, yet love is at the heart of every wisdom. In
The Eightfold Path, one of Buddha’s principal teachings
of enlightenment, it is said: “He has cast away Ill-will; he dwells with
a heart free from ill-will; cherishing love and compassion toward all living
beings, he cleanses his heart from ill-will.”
In Judhaism, of love of God, it is said: “Let all those
that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; and let such as love Thy salvation
say continually: 'Let God be magnified.'”
The theme of love is expanded on to such a degree in
Christianity that it is considered one of the pillars of the religion. Jesus
explains how the Unseen can be brought closer to us through love: “No man hath
seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love
is perfected in us. (King James Bible, 1 John)”
In the Qur’an, it
is said, “Yet are there some amongst mankind who take to themselves peers other
than God; they love them as they should love God while those who believe love
God more.” (the Qur'an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 2 - The Heifer)
When I examine love in the Baha’i Writings, the extent of
coverage boggled my mind. It was as if entering an enormous storehouse. A
search for the word “love” in Ocean program, a database of all religious texts,
yielded 8889 hits in 519 documents. In the Baha’i Faith, the concept of love is
like a diamond with a multitude of facets. An important reminder when reading the
Writings is that they are all directly from God revealed through His
Manifestations. Each one is authentic, pure and true. An individual relates to
love in one way or another. Knowledge cannot be acquired without love for the object
of understanding. Even faith is directly tied to love, which is the subject of
the next presentation. Justice cannot exist without love. The unity of mankind,
one of the prime principles of the Baha’i Faith, will not happen without the
love of God and of our fellow human beings. The growth of the Faith, an ongoing
concern since the day the Báb declared His revelation, requires love. The
divine lamp found in every soul cannot be kindled without love. In our daily
struggle, love is the key to the spiritual wellbeing of a sick soul. Work is
only considered worship if it is done with love. Lasting changes on an
individual or societal level cannot take place without love. These few examples
barely scratch the surface of a subject as vast and deep as the universe. The Baha’i
Writings are a well-spring from which flow limitless understandings of love.
Reflection
What does love mean to you?
Deeds (path of service)
In this
Revelation the hosts which can render it victorious are the hosts of
praiseworthy deeds and upright character. (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of
the Wolf, p. 26)
There is a
strong connection between love and deeds. Love of any kind—whether it is for
our parents, family, country, friend, and spouse—should lead us to action.
Saying, “I love you,” is never enough. Parenting is a good example. If one is
geared on doing a good job of raising a family, one must also be prepared to do
many things. The quality of care and sacrifice show the depth of one’s love for
any family members.
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