God is love- a mystery that sounds simple to perceive and yet difficult to grasp. In a world where the word 'love' has become an overused jargon that signifies so many things which seem far from godliness, the reality that God is love seems to be lost to human comprehension, along with humanity's true nature and self-perception . In the midst of such despair over the nature of love, and thus the nature of God, the encyclical " Deus Caritas Est (God is Love)" by Pope Benedict XVI seems to return the true perspective of love. Christopher West's reflections on this encyclical in "The Love that Satisfies: Reflections on Eros and Agape" draws great insight that would truly help Christians understand the reality of love. In this post, i will try to share some of what I have learnt from the first part of the first chapter of this book. My goal is to make the concepts of the entire teaching as simple as possible and yet try not to lose out the important points of the topic.
Ok... so here goes..
The first fundamental idea that screams out in this chapter is the true Catholic understanding of God, His relationship with humanity, and the truth about heaven. God is love. Does this mean that God really loves us? Does this mean that all his actions are motivated by love? Yes...But is that all?? The word 'is' implies that something is 'made of' something else. In other words, it exclaims that the 'true nature' of something is that other thing. For example, when we say 'she is a human being' or 'she is a women', we are not just making implications on the actions or functions of 'her'. Instead, we are talking about who she really is. In that same way, when we say God is love, we are making an implication on God's true nature rather that what he does. So, God's true nature is love. Does that even make sense? How?
The key to understanding this is to first accept the fact that love does not occur in isolation. In order for love to happen and to remain in its perfect sense, it must first be reciprocal. Love involves a lover and a beloved. A giver and a receiver. The understanding that God is love can only be truly appreciated when we are open to the idea that God is an eternal communion of persons. Within God, the three Persons of the Trinity live an "eternal exchange of love" (CCC 234). The Father loves the Son and gives himself to the Son. The Son receives the love of the Father and in turn, gives himself back to the Father. This happens in an eternal context. Thus, this everlasting love is so great that it brings forth the third Person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit who "proceeds from the Father and the Son" (The nicene creeed). The good news is this love does not stop there. God intends for us to share in this eternal exchange of love. When we come into complete union with God, God's dream for us comes true. We begin to share in this eternal exchange of the love that 'is' God. This is heaven.
Ok. Fair enough... So now I know what it means to say 'God is love'. I also have an idea of what God wants for me (and the entire human race). I may even have a new perception of heaven, now that I see it as more than a place. But as a human being, how can I experience a taste of the love that is heaven? Is there any way that I may attain a realisation of this truth from my human experience? What can I liken this love to? The best image or symbol that portrays God's love is the spousal image of God's love. God as a spouse? What does that mean?
Before looking into this spousal image, two important points must be made clear.
Point 1: God is not 'sexual'.
Point 2: The spousal analogy of God's love remains an analogy. It is limited and can never fully encompass the the mystery of the infinite God. Having said that, it is the best analogy accessible to the human person which corresponds to this mystery.
Now here is how it goes...God wants to 'marry' us. He wants us to partake in his eternal exchange of love. God wants to 'impregnate' us with his love that we may conceive his life within us and bear it forth. Now that may sound a little too much to accept. In fact, some of us may think this is heretic. Is this analogy truly reliable? There may be other reasons as to why this analogy is reliable, but I'm going to simplify this in three points.
Point 1: The bible begins with the marriage of Adam and Eve, and ends with the marriage of Christ and the Church. The whole of salvation history is contained within these two nuptial "bookends".
Point 2: Mary perfectly fulfills "the spousal character of the human vocation to God" (CCC 505). In Mary, the Bride said yes to the eternal Bridegroom's proposal. And thus, the life-giving word became flesh. Mary conceived God's Life within her and bore him forth in flesh.
Point 3 (The most 'mind-blowing' point): God wanted to make this 'marital plan' simple. He impressed an image of it in our very being. Our Identity as male and female, and our call to become 'one flesh' is as clear as it could get. We were made in God's image. Thus, our bodies become 'theological' and the love between man and woman points out to the love of God. Eros (human, erotic love) is meant to express agape (divine, sacrificial love). I don't know about you, but each time I read that line it gives me goosebumps. The God that seems out of sight and invisible to our senses has marked us with a reminder of His intimacy with us. And it is stamped right onto our bodies. Through our bodies and our sexuality, God reveals his ultimate plan for us. Our ultimate destiny is to share in His eternal exchange of love. The fact that sexual love involves a powerful desire, communicates God's very desire for us. When this desire is united with total, selfless love, it points out to our call and destiny, the eternal exchange of love that we call Heaven.
Its no wonder why sexuality and the relationship between man and women become the prime targets of the evils in society. When the image of the sexual love is distorted, the view of God and His love for us becomes blurred as well. We lose our identity (man and women, children of God) as well as our mission ( our call to unity, our call to love). It seems like satan's got the right heads on the chopping block. Are we aware of it??
And there goes, the first part of the first chapter... I hope its simple and comprehensive.
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