Love is a Mystery
My husband, Ron, and I are together reading from a daily devotional book that explores the book of Proverbs. Several times, the writer of Proverbs encourages the reader to “get understanding.” I’m all for learning and gaining as much understanding as possible, but if your faith journey is anything like mine, there are a whole lot of things you, like me, do not understand.
That’s where mystery enters the picture. As a finite being, I can’t imagine all the ways of an infinite God will be understood during this earthly journey. As I grow in trusting God, I can embrace, even appreciate, the mystery of faith.
When Ron showed me this scene he photographed one recent foggy morning, he commented, “Yeah, we see through a glass, darkly.” Ron’s comment comes from the King James version of 1 Corinthians 13, commonly known as the “Love Chapter.” I’ve always thought the placement of this thought was peculiar, but when Ron made his comment, I pondered the words further.
One of the most mysterious aspects of life is love. The Greeks had a variety of meanings for love, including romantic love (Eros); familial love (Storge); deep friendship (Philia); or transcendent, unconditional, God-like love (Agápe).
Have you ever felt true love for a person, but no matter how hard you tried, love was not reciprocated? Me too, and it’s easy to become so enmeshed in trying to figure out the relationship or attempting to make another understand how you feel, that the matter becomes all-consuming, unhealthy, or perhaps downright toxic.
I must admit even God’s love has seemed a mystery. I’ve certainly believed in my head God loves me but haven’t always trusted God’s love in my heart.
So, for now, I’ll feel content to learn as much and as clearly and concisely as possible, while being willing to “see through a glass, darkly.” Despite the mystery, I will give and receive love to the best of my ability, and I will also try to remember the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 13 that declares the greatest thing I can do is love.
Here are a couple more of Ron’s photos. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have.
As we conclude Listening on the Journey blog posts for February 2022, a month when love has been celebrated, I pray your life and days will be filled with much love!
Blessings on your Journey,
