Love. What is it?

 

 Love. What is it?

A mother loves her young. In some species, both adults love each other and their young. I see it on birds from my window. The male feeds the female when she takes care of the eggs. I see it in some primitive human cultures that take wonderful care of their aging population. It’s not the romantic love of movies, it’s self-sacrifice for others.

The romantic love that we so love to describe with art is something else. I am not even sure that erotic infatuation should be classified as a type of love. Is it a desire? I watch the deer below my window. If a female gets close to a male who found something good to eat, he will chase her away and try to kick her. When she is in heat, the males fight for mating rights with her. You may see a male and female snuggling together, but not for long. It is the love that exists until the Honeymoon is over.

I am no expert on animal love, but some behaviors move me emotionally. There is something about love that draws my attention. I see people attempting to love their God as per instructions from the Holy book. The Book forbade humans from making an image of God, but humans can’t love what they can’t picture. All religions have some artworks that bring an emotional response. Some do it with pictures, statues, masks, dolls, and some with secret architecture. Others attempt to focus on what they believe to be the word of God, letting the imagination fill in the gaps. Is that love, obedience, or fear? I don’t know.

In the latter part of history, people associated love with mating. Marriages used to be a contract between families for political, economic, and other reasons which did not include love. I remember two Iranian girls from one of my university classes. We, the western kids, were curious about their cultural heritage and asked about the pre-arranged marriage practiced in their country. They explained that they were too young to decide on something as important as marriage. The family, mostly the fathers, were responsible for the girls’ well-being and would do what was right for them, they said. What about love, I asked? It will come, they answered. We learn to love each other. In Iran, there was a very low rate of divorce while here in Alberta, Canada, it was around 50% when this conversation took place.

One type of love that I find most fascinating is the love of animals for their human masters. About a month ago, a full-size fox came to our place and was showing signs of hostility towards my wife. Out of nowhere came our male cat and viciously attacked the fox about three times his size. He chased the canine down the road and cornered him by some large rocks. We had to call the cat back to allow the fox to run away and never come back again close to the house.

There is a powerful love that people have for their country, as we presently see in Ukraine. People need a piece of the earth to call home and the land provides what they need for life. Just being born on a parcel of land makes people love it. We are most willing to fight and die for the motherland or the land of our fathers.

People love their method of worshipping God, which we call religion. We have fought many wars for the right to govern ourselves and to worship our way. Is fighting a way to prove love? There are many ways to fight. Some are peaceful, yet extremely powerful. India, under the leadership of the Mahatma Gandhi, won freedom from the British Empire without a war of independence. South Africa won freedom for its majority, who were governed by an outside minority, by convincing the rest of the world to help them.

There are many songs about the emotion called love. The songs do not talk about the number one love, money. People believe that money can buy you, love. It never does. The folks with the most money and fame can tell you that. So if you marry for money or a prearranged marriage, it’s the same. No love, only convenience.

The love that I am interested in is: there is one commandment above all, love. Love one another as I have loved you. The initiator died on the cross for it. It is a word for self-sacrifice for others, even for your enemies. You may be a Ukrainian soldier who comes across a wounded Russian soldier and gives him a drink of water. That is love. That is the kind of love that will get you to heaven.

I see all the signs, “I love coal”, “I love Alberta Beef,” and “I love gas and oil.” There were signs waved around “I hate Trudeau” The old hippie slogan, ” Make love, not war,” was empty as well. People don’t understand what “Love” is.

To me, love is what I read in the Sermon on the Mount. I also remember clearly when I met my wife fifty years ago. We talked about serious things which set us up for a long-lasting, loving relationship, but we also laughed a lot. Life was happening as it should and we loved being together. We still do. Ravens mate for life.

Others formed relationships based on selfish needs and wants, while we joked and enjoyed the moment. One moment joined another and there is no reason to believe that there will not be many more like it. If there is, I don’t see it. I am not looking.

Love is! And I can give it away, and when I do, I feel happy. I also receive love and I thank the one who created it.

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