beLOVED, LOVE.

I've frequently considered blogging. I've come to blogspot.com often and stared blankly into the screen contemplating opening an account, and then ultimately shying away- not because I didn't have anything to write...  but because I felt like I couldn't come up with a cool blog name or an intriguing url address. I'll admit, lame excuses. And, in moments where I have hot sports opinions about controversial issues I even more consider the prospect of blogging- but realize shortly after, its probably better I didn't have a blog to come sound off on- and end up looking like this or that idiot that just ran his mouth off without thinking.

So I've created this blog, not as a sounding board for my opinions, but rather as a simple way to express my daily (or weekly) thoughts in a more lengthy manner than my normal 140 character musings of the twitter variety. I've given up my vain pursuit at having the coolest, most creative blog name, and have settled for a title that I think sums up my life pursuit and what is ultimately most important.

So for my first post I thought I'd explain my choice in blog title. One of my favorite passages of scripture is

1 John 4:7-8
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

I often tell my students "what is most often repeated is most often the point." The word love is used poetically in this passage 6 times in 2 verses. The word love is used 35 times in this 5 chapter book. This passage is about LOVE and this book is about LOVE, and I'd suggest that life is about LOVE. The first two words in this passage in the Greek are "agapetoi, agapomen" or Beloved (Loved Ones/Those who are loved), Love other people. This passage makes it so simple. You are loved, therefore love people. Now we could argue this is John calling his readers "beloved" here but throughout scripture humanity is referred to as God's beloved- the loved ones of God. And God calls us simply to LOVE others. 


God is love. How awesome is that? The God of the universe is LOVE. Now often this passage is read out of context and read as if God is only LOVE, that he has no other characteristics other than love. God is love like the sun is light. You look at the sun and you can't help but see light, but the sun isn't only light- its heat and energy and made up of hot plasma and gases. It is a fireball that if you were too close to it you'd burn alive. God is love but that doesn't diminish his other characteristics- he is just, he is merciful, he's gracious, he's powerful, he's omnipotent, and yet in all of these & if you stood too close to Him- you might burn alive (j/k- but really!). God is love and we are made in His image- therefore we should be love as well. When I look to God, I see love, when people look to me- I want people to see love.