Love is one of the most misunderstood – and abused – words in the language. So many atrocities are committed in the name of love. All wars have love as their root cause – love of one’s culture, one’s way of life, one’s ideas or philosophical positions, love of country, love of some ideal, love of a woman or man. Yet, love (and rightly so) is exalted in all religions and philosophies. (Even the word philosophy means “love of wisdom”. )

The revelation of Jesus was that God is love. And this is also referenced many times in the Old Testament. It seems a universal truism. Even modern secular psychologists are all about getting into a place of love.

The problem is that humans and especially secular people are confusing love (an emotional feeling) with LOVE (an impersonal force – an emanation of the Divine). This makes all the difference in the world. It would be impossible to “love one’s enemies” if one is coming from the emotional level of love the human level. It is only as one grasps and contacts the LOVE Divine, that all these things become possible. This LOVE loves all aspects of life. It doesn’t distinguish or discriminate. This is the LOVE that will cure all things and cause man to beat their swords into plowshares. It comes from a place way above the psychological level consciousness.

When Jesus says “love God and love your neighbor as yourself – this is the whole law” he is not abrogating the laws of the Old Testament. He is only explaining their basis. He is saying that the LAW is a law of LOVE created by LOVE. The Ten Commandments are not just arbitrary rules and regulations, they are laws of LOVE. Only they are expressed in “Thou shalt nots” – for this was the best way to communicate with the people. The Scripture doesn’t say “as long as you love anything goes” – the modern theology. LOVE dictates no murder, no stealing, no false gods etc. etc. These are all violations of the laws of LOVE. The reader can meditate on each of these things and see it for him or her self.

To confuse love with LOVE is a dangerous thing.