Love

If you look the word up in the dictionary you will find that it refers to an intense feeling of deep affection.  Sounds simple enough but is it?

In the Bible, there are more than 165 passages that contain the word.

It is used in songs more than any other word and yet society still does not act in a loving way.

In 1965, the song “What The World Needs Now” was recorded by Jackie DeShannon. A catchy tune, it woke the world up at least temporarily to what love might be. I grew up in that era. The era of flower children and free love ultimately was why my generation is now referred to as “baby boomers.” It was a time of free spirit while also being a time of war. It was a time of free expression, but was this love?

Our children were born in a time of transition. Where there was a shift away from free love to a world on steroids and acid. Where had the love gone.

All you have to do now is look at the news to see everything that love is not. The beautiful thing is that despite wars, pandemics, and pharmaceutical murders love does still exist. If you doubt it, just look at the outpouring of love our Appalachian people have received over the last year as they struggle to recover from the worst catastrophic event in the history of this country. Look at how our neighborhoods are changing. Revivals are taking place everywhere. Love is seeping into the very crevices of towns that were once lost.

God gave the world a number of gifts, but the greatest of these was the ability to give and receive LOVE.

Open your eyes, ears, and mind to the idea and intense feelings of love.

Have a great day.