PASSIONATE LOVE

1 Kings 15:25-17:24; Acts 10:24-48; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 17:9-11

“Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?’ And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.’ The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. ‘Look!’ he said. ‘Your son is alive!’”

“Peter told them, ‘You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.’”

“Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the Lord.”

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”

It’s Valentines Day, and there isn’t much in today’s Scriptures about romance. But there’s a TON about love we may have missed. Two loners beaten down by life and poverty are brought together in their isolation to support each other, and a son is resurrected. A prejudiced Jew of great importance to a fledgling religion finally opens his heart to the fact that God loves those who are different, too, and “foreigners” are united in Christ for eternity. God’s wisdom reminds us that, sometimes, love just ignores the faults of another. No, there isn’t much romance in today’s words, but true love is not just about romance. It’s about passion, a passion strong and secure enough to withstand adversity. A passion so focused it is willing to defy convention and explore new avenues of love. A passion so dedicated it accepts faults and love despite shortcomings, and maybe even because of them. Passionate love is not always pretty. It’s not all roses and chocolates and heart-shaped cards. Passionate love can even be decidedly un-romantic. But passionate love is always real: it risks; it’s longsuffering; it endures; and it is willing to confront life in the trenches and do what it takes to save. Even when what it takes to save is personal vulnerability and sacrifice.

For almost thirty years now, my wife and I have had our share of romantic moments, and we love our candlelit dinners and late night chats (which means, for us, any conversation after the nightly news) as much as the next couple, I suppose. It’s fun being romantic. But we were both blessed to have parents who taught us that love is not just, or even primarily, about cosmetic romance. We learned by watching them that real love is the fruit of committed passion, a passion for the other that remains steadfast in the face of any circumstance. I think of my father-in-law watching his wife die of a brain tumor, insisting on keeping her at home and lovingly caring for her even when the cancer ravaged her physical abilities and her personality. Or my Mom – all 110 pounds or so of her - taking care of Dad - all 280+ pounds of him - while he was completely dependent for almost a year. Through these and so many other examples, we’ve learned passionate love has relatively little to do with sex; it’s a dedicated commitment that endures through the tears. It is a love unafraid to get dirty. It is, in a word or two, unmerited grace that stands by, supports and sustains, especially when it is not comfortable or romantic to do so.

The best description of my wife, and one I will always cherish, came out of the blue one day from a mutual friend. “She’s just so there.” I understood immediately what our friend meant. My wife loves with an absolute passion for me, and for others. She stays put, no matter how insufferable I get. That’s not always a comfortable, let alone romantic, place to be, but it is a place love must live, if it is to live at all. In simplest terms, my wife is a daily, tangible reminder of Christ, and romance aside, it’s hard to be more loving than that.

Romance assuredly has its place, but any relationship based solely on romance has a very short expected life. We learned quickly that romance is wonderful when it is the result of passionate dedication and trust. However, put the ultimate priority on romance, and pretty much the best one can hope for is an intense but shallow lust. Praise God that we do not have to rely on lust or romance to hold us up at any point, and that we never have to depend solely on ourselves to generate passion. Indeed, we cannot do so and expect love to last for eternity. Enduring love is a love that can afford to sacrifice only because Christ fills the voids and gaps of our humanness. “We love, because He first loved us.” Praise God for His example of passionate love!