Third Week in Advent – Day 5 – Unconditional Love
When people complain that they don’t understand someone, I sometimes respond with, “That’s nothing. I don’t understand myself.” If love is based on understanding, it is going to be almost non-existent. We all cry out for unconditional love; if it is conditional, it isn’t love, it is based on something we do to merit that love. Love that is earned isn’t love and can disappear in the blink of an eye. The beginning of our love for others comes as we begin to comprehend God’s unconditional love for us. “If only” has no place in the vocabulary of genuine love. If you meet someone who has an “if only” love, it will not be long until you discover a “no longer” love. Conditional love has no staying power. After all, it’s when we’re “down and out,” when we’re not at our best, that we need the lift and encouragement of unconditional love.
Ronald Higdon, Faith Never Stands Alone, p. 92
