Erratic Thought #15: Why Love?

I have a question. It’s something that I’ve been pondering for quite a while now. (Notice how I quietly sidestep the fact that it’s been a couple months since I’ve updated my blog, now increasing the shock-factor on the faces of my 2-3 readers.)

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It’s easy.
There’s nothing you can make that can’t be made.
No one you can save that can’t be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time – It’s easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
It’s easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)
All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

What do you think the point of that song is? We need love. I think that even without the invaluable influence of John Lennon, we have all at some point come to the conclusion that love is a pretty important thing to have.

It is obvious that humans were designed for relationships. Our trinitarian God has been in relationships since before time began. It is only natural that we, as humans, look to share relations with others. And we do. We have friends, who we come to cherish and rely upon, but it is not enough. Shouldn’t it be? It seems like having a trustworthy circle of friends, with whom we share interests, activities, and beliefs would be enough to content someone for life.

Yet somehow it is not. We spend our days searching for the one person we believe fit to forever share a special bond. Romance has been universally searched for since Genesis. One of the most popular Scripture passages in regards to marriage, which has been quoted several times throughout the Bible, is Genesis 2:24. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

When I have dwelt upon this issue, this was the first verse that came to mind. However, after just reading verse 24, we are still left asking “Why?” So, I looked at 2:23 and read “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” After first reading this, I was inclined to think it meant that a man needs a woman because of his vanity. (“she is flesh of my flesh… she shall be called woman… Therefore a man shall leave his mother an father..” just saying.) However, after looking back at Genesis 2:18, it makes sense that Adam’s words are less of a remark upon himself and more upon what God had done for him: Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

“A suitable helper.” The OED’s definition of “suitable” is “right or appropriate for a particular person, purpose, or situation.” This means that for every man, for the purpose of having a loving companion, and in the situation of marriage, God has created a perfect woman (this obviously applies vice versa, as well). Aside from salvation through Christ, I am convinced this is the greatest gift God has given. I would say that is a treasure worth searching for.