Article May 30, 1977 Issue

Outgrowing Merely Personal Love

REITA H. NAYLOR

Rather than being—like antagonism—the antithesis of love, merely personal friendship is a counterfeit, a close imitation of love. We would never mistake hatred for divine Love, yet a feeling of personal attachment is frequently taken to be genuine love— legitimate caring and sharing.

Personal attachment involves a compulsive affection for the personal, physical presence of another human being. It's the kind of love that glorifies and clings to the personality, as opposed to the individuality, of another. Inevitably, a merely personal attachment brings with it fear or disappointment: the fear of being deprived of the physical presence of another, or the disappointment that results from depending on physicality.

This counterfeit mimics in every way the power and capabilities of divine Love; it claims to do what God is doing. For example, a sense of personal love may seem to provide us with security and comfort. But what person can be unfailingly dependable or eternally available? Sooner or later, we discover that no personality can give us the security or comfort of omnipotent, omnipresent divine Love.

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