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Thoughts of a Modern Celtic Wanderer

The Eyes Of Love Unconditional (Guest Author Archbishop Iris Bey)

Last updated on: February 18, 2022 at 9:35 am   by John D Gee

The Eyes Of Love Unconditional (Guest Author Archbishop Iris Bey) 2022-02-18T09:35:59-06:00 John D Gee

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In a world so full of hate, love is becoming a rare societal attribute. In today’s society,

humanity has lost sight of what it truly means to love thy neighbor. Love is fluid, it is alive, it is
moving, it is designed to be ever evolving, growing and life-giving. Love can also be stagnant,
dry, and painful when it is mishandled and misused. Love can also be selective and
discriminatory; however, the possessor of such love selects who will be the recipient of the love
he or she holds, as well as who will be the recipient of the loathing that dwells within the same
heart. Imagine that! Love and hate residing in the same heart.

Hearts of Love and Hate

How can a heart that is filled with so much love toward their child or family member be so
content to project hate toward their fellow man? How can love and hate be so intertwined? It
reminds me of a flowerbed filled with beautiful blooms that is also overgrown with weeds. This
analogy presents the idea that the same elements that nurture the flowers also nurture the weeds.
Are love and hate nourished from the same external factors? Selah.
Jesus commanded in John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” We are commanded by the Holy
Scripture to love our fellowman the way Christ loves us: pure and holy.
God’s love is complete, perfect, and lack nothing. His love is indiscriminate,
unconditional, surpasses all human understanding and defies human intellect.

Amazing Love

God’s love is so amazing and was demonstrated perfectly by His son Jesus Christ who was executed by a loveless
world. The love of God is often misinterpreted and misrepresented by Christian Believers
around the world because the abstract process whereby humanity interprets, understands, and
perceives, imprudently assigns human qualities and abilities to the God of all creation rather than
seeing Him as the Most High, Omniscient, Omnipresent and the Omnipotent Power that He is.
Misinterpreting the love of God as a mere characteristic of the Godhead without embracing its
completeness is why we as humans lack the capacity to properly exhibit that same unconditional
love to our neighbor and our fellow man.

When we agree to love unconditionally, we are saying yes to the commandment Jesus gave us in
John 13:34. However, to love one’s neighbor unconditionally may present internal challenges
that may not be easily overcome without persistent effort. In other words, we must learn to love
on purpose. External factors or conditioners such as social engineering, environment, life
experiences and upbringing may skew our internal thoughts regarding the neighbors we are
commanded to love. It is incumbent upon each of us to see our neighbor through the eyes of
God, the eyes of unconditional love.

The Unconditional Yes

When the unconditional “yes” that emerges from John 13:34 is reinforced by the unconditional
love in John 3:16, we find that it is easier to love than it is to hate. Without love we are nothing
but a tinkling cymbal and a sounding brass that contributes to the noise of a world. We have a
form of artifice love with no real substance. Therefore, our yes must be rooted, grounded, and
watered with the Word of God daily so we can experience unconditional love as it begins to
bloom in a heart that is overgrown with weeds. John 3:16 is leniently recited by many but the

unconditional love of God that it produces is vast and immeasurable and the essence of its
meaning is grossly understated. Exterior factors can dislodge our faith and our perspective of God can dwindle over time, but if we rely upon our own flawed abilities rather than depend upon His unwavering grace and love
towards us, we will continue to produce weeds in a garden designed to bloom.

Methodology of Gods Love

The exact methodology of God’s unwavering love towards us cannot not be articulated,
formulated, or duplicated in any way but the Holy Bible is clear about how the love of God
towards humanity is awesome in nature and his veracity is unrestricted, meaning His love is
eternal and unhindered. His love has no beginning and no ending. His love encapsulates all that
He is and all that we should be. The unconditional love of God is neither former nor future but is
always present.

God’s love is invigorating, His presence is intoxicating, and His grace along with His mercy is
exhilarating.
For God so loved the world that He selected to give His only begotten Son as a ransom for all
and because His unconditional love is so amazing, even a hate-filled world can see a risen savior
who loved us to death.

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