THE GREATES LOVE OF ALL

In the song, "Greatest Love Of All," Whitney Houston assert that the greatest love of all is to love yourself.

“Learning to love yourself.It is the greatest love of all.”

In contrast, the Sacred Scripture has a different idea about love, especially what constitutes the greatest love. The Bible expresses that the love of God is great and beyond understanding. God's love is compared to the height of the heavens above the earth and even beyond. Jesus defined the greatest love, as recorded in the gospel of John: “Greater love has no one than this that He lay down his life for his friends.[1]”

God can love us in any way even deeper and more complete than we even imagine. Before going further, let us try to reflect first on the following questions namely, what is love? Where does love come from? What is the greatest love of all? How is the love of God shown?

The true meaning of love has been corrupted in the common usage of our languages and societies. Most often, love is confused with infatuation that jubilant, "high" feeling we get when we "fall in love." This kind of "love" is something that lasts typically less than a year, and unless replaced by true love, results in broken relationships. The term “love” has been often used and misrepresented. When we say love, we speak of a wide range of subject. It can either be love of friends, love of country, love of work, love of family, love of partner, love of neighbor, and love of God.

The Sacred Scripture indicates that love is from God. In fact, it says "God is love." Love is one of the primary characteristics of God. Likewise, God has endowed us with the capacity for love. This capacity for love is one of the ways in which we are created in the image of God.

God’s love is fundamental for our lives. Our love is usually conditional and based upon how other people behave toward us. This kind of love is based upon familiarity and direct interaction. We love based on feelings and emotions that can change from one moment to the next. In contrast, God’s love is an unconditional love. It is not based on feelings or emotions. It is born from within Him, not from what He finds in us. St. John says it like this: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” Does He love us because of our kindness? Is it because of our great faith? Is it because of our goodness that He loved us? No, He loves us because of His goodness, kindness, and great faith. He loves us because he wanted so and not because we love Him.

God loves you simply because He has chosen to do so. God proved His love by sacrificing His own son for us. Jesus is the symbol of that greatest love of all. Jesus fulfilled this greatest love by dying for us so that we could be forgiven of all our sins and have fellowship with God.

God’s love is something that is not only seen but felt by the heart. It doesn’t have exact explanation. All we need to understand it is an open mind that sees the message through people and events in our daily lives and an open heart to comprehend the message across.

[1] John 15:13