We learn to love others from the One who is love

It is true that the Beatles' lyrics cannot be described as pillars of theology. But in the boys of Liverpool's pursuit to capture a place in pop culture history, they did compose a few songs with words that give pause and inspire thought. John Lennon penned "All You Need Is Love"—released by the band on July 7, 1967. The chorus goes "…All you need is love, love. Love is all you need." Simply stated and yet all can agree, theologian and music fan alike, that love is paramount. It is the greatest of all humankind's needs.

For some, love is easily conjured, like the lightning bug appearing with its light flashing, on and off, on and off, in May's rapidly descending twilight. It is something pursued, mapped out in a song, a poem, or found in a moment. Then again, love is fraught with paradoxes—while simple to understand, it is difficult to comprehend. It flits away as soon as one comes close to grasping the meaning. What is love, anyway?

The Apostle John does not waiver when answering life's most important question. He does not get lost in the high grass or water down his response. He states the answer, boldly declaring that love comes from the source, writing—to reverberate throughout all eternity—"God is love" (1 John 4:8). John asserts that love is not an attribute of God; rather, it is His very essence.

As a young man, 17-years-old, I was enamored by the sophomore girl who prayed at our school's student-led morning devotion as if Jesus stood beside her, two friends who cared for each other, catching up on their concerns. I had never heard anything like it. My interest turned into our friendship—walking to class together, eventually holding hands, and then a first kiss. Forty-four years of marriage later, Kathy and I remain enamored and committed, acknowledging the presence of our Savior in the midst of all we are and do.

We love well when the One who is love, loves through us. For the friendship, marriage, and parenthood, it is the source where we find grace and help to love unconditionally, sacrificially, the way we love ourselves (Mark 12:31). We learn from Him to place the other's needs before our own.

Parents know the sacrifices love demands. As a parent, I live with my heart outside of my own body. What my child feels, I feel. Their joys and heartaches are my joys and heartaches. The only way I can comprehend the largeness of a parent's love for a child is to look to Scripture.

A favorite image of Jesus appears in Mark's gospel when He stops everything, even time itself it seems, to welcome the little ones who come into His presence (10:13-16). Everything fades into the background as He spends time with them, listening to them, blessing them—with His presence, yes, and with His whole heart. This picture of the Savior inspires parents and all those who welcome children into their worlds to understand the value of these precious lives, to sacrifice time and energy and resources for their good, to nurture those hearts by giving of our own hearts. Love is all we need.

Actually, as followers of Jesus, it is a commandment to love: "This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12). That instruction is literal—love is not optional. If we put God's love for us and our love for Him as the foundation for loving every person who comes into our lives, then we can live out His desire for us to love others as ourselves.

Ron and I are friends and make time for each other. We share burdens and concerns. We encourage and pray for the other. We seek godly counsel because we are brothers in Christ. In difficult days, I do not doubt that he will stand with me. I choose to stand with him. Our love is built on the trust that we stand firm together, no matter the circumstances. When I read in scripture that "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13), I think of Ron.

"Love is all you (we) need." It is true. To the ones who follow the living Lord, the words brighten and include so much more than the human meaning the Beatles may have intended. We know, after all, the first and foremost definition of love is "God." He is love. It is His essence. In the truest sense, dear readers, we need Him. I pray for this love to be shared in our lives, with everyone we encounter.

Written by Jim Edminson, Editor of Charity & Children