I’ve been listening to Barry White a lot this past week.
I know some of you already are wondering where is he going with this week’s column.
Read on.
For those of you who don’t know who Barry White is or not old enough to know about him, he was big in the early to mid 1970’s with his deep, baritone voice that made women swoon and men emulate in order to pick up ladies with.
He had song titles like:
Never, Never Gonna Give You Up
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything
I’m Qualified to Satisfy You
Your Sweetness is my Weakness
and I Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe
He sung about love, lust, and what Pastor Max Lucado calls Hubba Hubba.
However, I want to focus on love for this blog post, not Hubba Hubba. That will be another column in the near future.
Also, my wife and I watched the final episode of the Bachelorette this week where Ali chooses between Roberto and Chris as the man of her dreams and who she wants to marry and be happy forever. Or at least for awhile…until they get tired of each other. Hmmm…
I will admit that show is a guilty pleasure of mine and it makes me laugh everytime I watch it with my wife.
With both of these things occupying some of my free time this past week, I began wondering about love. What is it?
Is love something like what Barry White signs about?
Is love something like Ali the Bachelorette is trying to find on television?
Or is it what Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church in the Book of First Corinthians?
Love is patient and kind; does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV Bible)
That’s quite a contrast from Barry White crooning or Ali the Bachelorette trying to find the man of her dreams. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against romantic love. That kind of love is only one aspect of love and it should be valued and sought for.
But our culture has shown, told, and sold us this form of love is the only one worth having or seeking to attain.
I must admit in my 20’s, I believe that this aspect of love was the only form of love. Now that I’m married with two children and I know that love is so much more.
Love is patience like when your newborn is crying uncontrollably and you can’t figure what’s wrong. All you can do is hold the child and comfort them.
Love is kind like when you had a rough day at work and you come home to your spouse and not forgetting to treat them better you treat your co-workers, customers, or clients.
Love is truth like when your spouse, family member, or friend is able to hold your accountable for your actions and you don’t cut them out of your life when they do.
Love is endurance like when you meet a couple who has been married for over 50 years and you see them smile at each other without ever saying a word.
Love is all of those things and I know that will not sell a lot of records or make you become a reality television star. But its the way God loves us and wants us to love other people the same way.
If we can remember that, then we will know what love really is.
By the way, I really enjoy Barry White’s music. It’s really beautiful music.
My darling, I, can’t get enough of love your, baby
Girl, I don’t know why
I can’t get enough of love your, baby
Oh, some things I can’t get use to
No matter how I try
It’s like the more you give the more I want
Baby, that’s no lie
I can’t get enough of your love, baby
I can’t get that song out of my head. LOL!!
See you next week.
Awesome Marion. Thanks for the reminder and break down of the different facets of love.