Article June 16, 1945 Issue

What Can Take the Place of Love?

SAMUEL GREENWOOD

Human research has discovered many substitutes for the genuine in the line of material things, but no substitute have been found for the things of the Spirit, the finer things which distinguish man from the animal. The claims of physical attraction may deceive mortals for a time into accepting it for love; but with nothing spiritual to base and uplift it, sooner or later such love withers like a plant without water. Thus one may learn that nothing unlike God can permanently satisfy the human heart.

By the same token it can be seen that nothing can take the place of unselfed love in the transformation of human consciousness from the material to the spiritual sense of being. The Scriptures teach that "God is love," and from this it naturally follows that the closer one consciously lives to God the more spontaneous love becomes in his thoughts and life. Realizing this, what could induce one to give place to anything else, since he could as reasonably consider taking something into his life instead of God, as of living it in the absence of love?

On the eve of Gethsemane Jesus said to his disciples, as recorded in the Gospel of John (15:12), "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." Note the binding condition, "as I have loved you." if we regard ourselves as his disciples, have we truly considered this commandment in its demand upon our own lives? Or are we setting it aside as beyond our reach and doing little or nothing about it? And yet, if our aim is to be Christians after the Master's example, it must apply directly to ourselves. And after all, why should anyone seek to evade its responsibility?

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