Love a little more...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that”. I love this quote because it highlights an old principle that is still very relevant in this present generation. This is a generation were women now criticize and judge one another and there is no more unity or sense of togetherness. Showing love is popularly viewed as a sign of weakness or vulnerability or lack of character whereas it is and should be seen s as a sign of strength, dignity and respect.

I am a Christian and it saddens me that most many churches have lost their focus from the teachings of the Bible on love and compassion and they show more hatred than is displayed by the so called “sinners’. The Bible clearly teaches us to love the sinner and to hate sin. The Bible does not teach us Christians to chastise one another or to criticize one another, it teaches us to show love and to live by example and not force our beliefs on other people. Nowadays, pastors blatantly admonish congregations to stay away from homosexuals and separate themselves from them as much as possible. This is really disappointing because in my opinion, this is a very condescending and judgmental way to deal with such situations. It is certainly not the Christian approach. I believe that a more appropriate way to deal with such situations is not to condemn but to show love and use our own lives as examples. By doing this, we are not forcing our personal values and beliefs on other people; rather we are exposing our light and giving them control over their own lives.

Love is the most important principle in our generation today. Most of the problems our society faces today are directly or inversely as a result of a lack of love. Love is a pivotal force, it ties with almost every other positive attitude or attribute. With love, comes respect for yourself and everyone else. If people had respect for themselves and each other, there would be less fighting and more people living in peace irrespective of their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. One of the main problems of government today is corruption, if government officials had respect for themselves and the people they were in authority over, they will not steal from them and lie to them so consistently. 

With love also comes giving, if people gave more there would be less people on streets, less people dying of hunger and thirst and less hatred in people’s hearts.. With love comes empathy, which is the ability to understand and share feelings of another.  If people were more empathetic, they would be less likely to show what they feel, and more likely to act and respond the way they would want to receive if they were in that situation, which in most cases is not a pat on the back, it is just understanding and love, not for being right but for being human.

According to the Bible, which is my guidebook for life, ‘love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. In my opinion, this says it all and this is a perfect definition of what love truly is.

Ok, so this whole article has been about the importance and the fundamental nature of love and how it makes the world a better place but the truth is, most people only do things when there is a sure benefit not just to the society at large, but to them as an individual. So, here are some personal benefits of love. First, love gives you a certain pleasant aura, it adds a certain glow to your personality and there is nothing more attractive than a person of good character. Also, love removes all forms of stress and anxiety; it makes a person look youthful, vibrant and confident. Finally, love affects everyone around you, so you become a joy to be around and a shining light in the crowd, the one everyone admires and secretly wants to be like. I will admit that showing love is not always an easy thing but it is well worth it in the end.

In our society, love is overrated but the power of love is underrated. Love does not take as much of an effort as it seems. Love does not have to be devoting your whole day to someone or giving them a truck load of money. Love could just be a smile or a hug or a tender touch but it could do as much as save a life. So please, love a little more…