The Deeper Meaning ( of Love )

'What's Love Got To Do With It?'

Valentine's Day is two days away: some people are looking forward to it, some are not! The history of this lover's holiday is quite interesting to say the least & I encourage you to look it up ( google it ), but our focus today is the love behind it all; is it REALLY Love, or is it just a passing fancy, a lustful feeling? Much of what passes for love in this day & age is based on feelings, which, as we have noted, can change like the weather! This is not to say, however, that a love which IS based primarily on feelings cannot be a lasting one, but this, I believe, would be the exception, not the rule.

Many words seem to have lost their true meaning, or intent in this modern age of technology & convenience. Among others, 'love' is one of those words! As originally conceived, Love was simply an action, a conscious decision, a self-imposed duty, if you will, to follow a certain set of rules, or Law, concerning another, or any number of people. In today's vernacular, which probably most everybody can say mea culpa to, including this blogger, 'I love you' can mean anything from 'I have warm feelings for you' to 'I want to make babies with you ( or at least go through the motions )'!

When words lose their meaning, that meaning is, for all intents & purposes lost! This is not to say that the original meaning & intent no longer apply, for it is a universal & absolute truth, only that it is hidden to those who have chosen to accept the false conception. Love, therefore, is not based upon warm or lustful feelings, but upon a conscious decision to do what is right with concern to another or others. 'Romantic love', as we know it too familiarly today, while not necessarily based on feelings, is most often thus & is concerned largely with the physical aspects of the intimacy, the 'ins & outs', 'ups & downs', so to speak, of this over-sexualized society!

Sex, or the act of sexual intercourse, is not in itself wrong, shameful, or inherently sinful, but when it is wrongly applied, or explored in a wrong or unnatural context, it becomes corrupted & a root of all kinds of evil! Many of those who are familiar with the latter scenario can attest to the fact that this wrong context, or abuse of the sex act can lead to all sorts of nasty repercussions & cause all sorts of interesting dilemmas. The act of sexual intercourse is very natural; we were made for it! As we've explored previously, a certain part of the male anatomy melds quite nicely & interacts quite pleasingly ( if I may say so myself ) with a certain part of the female anatomy, and while certain dogma & stigma has made & continues to make this act shameful, there is nothing to be ashamed about, IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT!

The Context, of course, is Love! Not the fuzzy, warm feeling that we get when we see, think of, or are around a certain person, although that IS often involved, but the Love from Above, that which comes from a Knowledge of the Creator & the understanding that Love does not originate with our feelings but rather in our mind, our 'heart', if you will. Feelings are most certainly involved, but first & foremost, it is a choice we all must make; will we do what is right, or will we allow our feelings to dictate our course of action? Too often, I believe, people choose the latter & erroneously call it 'love', not understanding the deeper meaning of the word!

The intimacy of the act of sexual intercourse, though not necessarily involved in the deeper meaning of love, certainly brings a sort of stability to the table! A 'love' based on that act is no love at all, but the act of sexual intercourse between a male & female, in the right context, is nothing but Love. This is a Love that will last, not because the 'sex is good', but because the intimacy is there; a connection deeper than anything like mere biology has occurred & that, my friends is Love!

When we celebrate Love this Valentine's Day, while everybody else is wondering who they're going to wine & dine or just planning to woo into bed after the festivities, let's remember that it's not about the biological attraction ( although chemistry has a lot to do with it); it's about that intimate connection we make with another soul, whether or not the physical act of sexual intercourse is involved! Feelings come & go, but Love, True Love, is forever; when we focus on what is right & not just what feels right ( at the moment, or for the moment ), then we will begin to experience for ourselves the Deeper Meaning of Love, for we have found A Love That Stands the Test of Time!

Charles Haddon Shank