by Ted Miller
I’m a believer in love. I believe in the power of love.
But what does that mean? When I sat down to write this column, I wanted to write a concise definition of what love means to me, but I didn’t know where to start.
Millions of words have been written to try to describe love.
Stories about love have been told in every language since humans first
developed the ability to communicate. We all experience love, yet every
experience of love is different.
The capacity to love is fundamental to our human experience. In
fact, love is essential to childhood development and to our physical and mental
well-being.
Love binds us together. It is love that makes us care for each
other. A mother loves her child unconditionally from before birth. Parents care
for their children without an expectation of anything in return. Love keeps
families together through generations. Love among friends and within a
community leads us to pool resources together for the common good. Love is the
thing that ensures our species survives. And love for our fellow humans can
lift us all and make the world a better place.
Every major religion teaches about the importance of love,
especially love for those who are less fortunate, those who are strangers, even
those who are our enemies.
In Buddhism, the Dhammapada, 1:5 says, “For hatred does not cease
by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an ancient and eternal
rule.”
In Judaism, Leviticus 19:34 says, “The stranger who resides with
you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself,
for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
In the Christian bible, John 15:12, Jesus says, “My command is
this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
In Islam, Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 72, “None of you has faith
until he loves for his brother or his neighbor what he loves for himself.”
Other religions have similar teachings. All are variations on the
golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Or more simply, love
each other like you love yourself.
When I think about the power of love, I remember Aesop’s story of
the North Wind and the Sun. The Sun bets the North Wind that he can get the
traveler remove his coat. The North Wind, thinking he is more powerful, accepts
the challenge. But the stronger the North Wind blows, the tighter the traveler
closes his coat. The Sun then comes out. The Sun’s warmth soon encourages the
man to loosen and then remove his coat. The moral: warmth and kindness wins. To
me, this story is a metaphor that means love is stronger than hate.
I’m not naïve enough to think evil doesn’t exist in the world. Humans
have a terrible capacity for divisiveness and hatred. The daily news is full of
stories of racism, homophobia, and misogyny. War, genocide, and slavery exist
today. Although we have the resources and capacity to feed and clothe the
world, millions of humans suffer in poverty and hunger every day.
All too often, people who don’t look like us, talk like us,
worship like us, or think like us are not treated as one of us. The partisan
division in this country is worse than at any time in my life. The hate I see
on social media makes me wonder if we can ever come together as a country, let
alone continue the long road towards justice and peace for all. Where is the
love?
There are times I feel hopeless and want to just retreat from the
world. But I refuse to give in to the darkness. I refuse to give up hope. I
still believe we are capable of seeing the good in each other.
We can value the dignity of every human being and treat everyone
with love and respect while at the same time protecting ourselves from those
that would do us harm. We can work together to help those less fortunate than us.
We can speak up for the oppressed. We can demand a government that works for
the common good. We can remember the golden rule and choose love.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Power without love is reckless
and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its
best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is
power correcting everything that stands against love.”
I believe in love. The alternative is too much to bear.