Friday, February 14, 2014

Tu Blave

Aficionados of the movie, Princess Bride, which I highly recommend, will recognize the title of this post as coming form that movie.  If you haven't figured it out, it means "True Love" and it is uttered, in "speech impediment style" by the priest at the wedding ceremony.

Here on Valentine's day, what could be a better topic than true love.  If you have not experienced true love, I hope you will someday.  I am not necessarily talking about romantic love for your sweetheart, but true, bona fide love of some other person (though perhaps we should include pets, I choose to leave that for another day).

What is the most common theme for books, plays, movies, songs?  I would guess that it is indeed, "True Love".  Even the most action-packed thriller, say "Star Wars", often has a "true love" theme interwoven.

Why is this? 

I have a hypothesis, as you might anticipate.

My hypothesis is that, true love, human love, rattles around deep within our soul as the highest thing imaginable for humans.  As you might anticipate, my argument is that "true love" has best been expressed in G^d's love for mankind, evidenced in many ways.  The greatest example being the sending of his Own Beloved SON to reconcile man to G^d in a love relationship. 

But why did G^d allow man to fall?  The short simple answer is that "true love" must always be voluntary, never compelled, never predetermined.  We won't chance down that rabbit trail now.

But on our deepest level we realize that "true love" is our highest longing.  Religion (as opposed to a deep relationship with G^d) doesn't always convey this message ion the clearest terms.  Some people, typically those who think themselves especially clever, reject this notion publicly, but deep down, I suspect that most of them know that "true love" is the pinnacle, and everything else is a cheap substitute.

That's partly why Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, and many others vehemently attack this notion that G^d so loved the world that He gave his only Son...  They are fighting a deep internal truth, and they are uncomfortable fighting agasint such a pwoerful foe alone and isolated.  They want to recruit mroe toops.

That is why they are to be pitied, they go along trying tio deny the deepest truth.  How sad to try to fight against "true love".

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