Love! A magic. ambiguous word.
What is love? Emotion? Conviction? Concept? Ideal? Energy? Ecstasy? Impulse? Vibration? What one lives can’t be defined. Love has a thousand meanings, is seen in a thousand colors, confuses like an enigma, fascinates like a siren.
Some think there is no difference between love and hate, that the latter is the other facet of the first. Others say that egotism and love are one and the same energy. And so they are. Only the one to whom it is addressed changes. The streets are full of songs and the songs are full of love. In the name of love, beautiful lies are invented; in its name, death cloaks itself with life, andóhow often! –life cloaks itself with death.
Its banners are a rose and a heart. People say that its crown is the love of a mother. But they also speak of possessive mothers, who seem to love to the point of paroxysm, when in reality they love themselves. This is all full of ambiguities and must he clarified.
The Gospel personage who is most sensitive to love is John. His thoughts and sayings define brotherly concern. As much in the fourth Gospel as in John’s letters. brotherly love is like a powerful melody running through the pages, enlightening everything and enlivening it all with feeling. There is no guide as skilled as John for this journey through the paths of fraternal communion. In his company, we stem the current of the river of history until we reach the original Source of the immortal waters: God.
John begins by identifying two words: God and Love. Both expressions, for him, are like two stars: they contain the same fire. If we say that God is love, we may add that where there is love, there is God. Pursuing the same chain of thoughts, we arrive at another conclusion: where there is no love, there is no God; and where there is no God, there cannot be love.
So if where there were no love, God were present, or, where God were present, there were no love, in both cases we would be facing a lie. On this point, John states his opinion so radically that it terrifies.
If anyone says: “I love God,” hilt hates his brother [or sister]; he is a liar.
For how will it be possible to love God, whom he has not seen, if he does not love his brother [or sister] whom he sees?
The Lord himself has ordered us: whoever loves God must also love his brother [and sister] (1 Jn 4:20-21).
Based on the book “Come with me” by Father Ignacio Larrañaga
