Whom or what do we love? Is our love confined to feelings of affection for close relatives, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a dog, or a car?

Some moments of happiness are filled with such exuberant love that our loving expands beyond those we know, and we would like to take the whole world in our arms!

Yet without questioning it, most people express and accept love only under certain conditions: A person or a circle of acquaintances, an object or a thing, receives our affection only after going through a process of selection that accounts it worthy of personal recognition. Consequently, one divides his life into segments; in some cases he cannot help liking people, but in others he sees no reason for expressing affection. How long a limited view of love seems to be sufficient for an individual is closely connected with his perception of impartial, universal divine Love.

The Bible defines God as Love. ^{See I John 4:8 .} Since Love, God, is all-inclusive in its effect, it is infinite and always available, even when its presence isn't readily evident.

On what conditions could God make His willingness to love dependent? On none! God loves unconditionally: without stopping and beginning anew, continuously. What could stand in the way of infinite divine Love? Nothing! Divine Love unfolds love unreservedly. There is no place where God does not let the full splendor of His loveliness radiate. Spiritual man, God's representation of Himself, lives in Love. The nature of divine creation is determined by its unity with and pure expression of God's tender love.

Divine Love guarantees its child boundless existence, without beginning and without end. In the light of glowing Love the perfect being shines. When we are striving to express our true identity in the likeness of Love, we succeed if we don't allow the temporal self—the belief of a fleshly identity—to dominate. This material, false identity actually has no role in our consciousness of God's love. Only an understanding of our spiritual identity helps us to perceive that God is not dependent on or expressed by a mortal, material man or creation.

Frequently, by clinging to the material sense of self, we stand in the way of an unrestricted stream of divine care and unwittingly hinder its coming to light. Only through a clear identification with impersonal divine Love do we reach the all-inclusive concept of our true identity as God's likeness, beloved of Him.

No matter how much warmth and compassion have been expressed toward us by others, we must come to understand that affection is permanent only if it issues from divine Love. If hate or dislike confronts us, the realization that omnipotent Love is ever present offers an effective defense.

Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health, "Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science." ^{Science and Health, p. 266.} An understanding of universal Love never leads us to disregard humanity's problems but rather finds expression in active brotherly love, which provides practical help.

Even the pleasure of finding new strength from others' praise and approval loses its glamor through the acknowledgment of the Father's conscious love of each of His children, created for His glory.

Christ Jesus replied to the rich man who appealed to him as a material personality and addressed him as "good Master" with the words "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." ^{Mark 10:17,18.} Yet Jesus did not fail to claim his spiritual identity, which expressed divine goodness. His Christ nature was perfectly sensible of the perfect Father.

As we realize how much we are unreservedly, unconditionally, fervently loved by God, we ourselves begin to love truly. And thereby each one fulfills his God-given mission to recognize the divine presence—no matter what one's individual field of activity is—and to strive to express His love, which is an effective tool in Christian healing.

I still vividly remember a Christian Science church service that I attended one Sunday morning. I joyfully carried home in my heart the love that was expressed there. As a result of this love, I was able to discern for myself the truth regarding a physical difficulty a relative was experiencing that afternoon. I refused to admit to my consciousness the belief that man, the likeness of Love, could be sick. Thanks to the spiritual facts my relative knew were the truth of her existence, she was able to attend a Christian Science lecture later the same day. Divine Love had given proof of the universal efficacy of Christian Science church services by blessing all participating.

Mrs. Eddy has provided Rules for the members of her Church in the Manual of The Mother Church. The first section of Article VIII, entitled "A Rule for Motives and Acts," is read once a month at the Sunday services of Churches of Christ, Scientist, around the world. It begins: "Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness."

Whoever seeks and strives to reflect divine Love can know existence fulfilled. The warmth of God's love finds a concrete expression in human affairs, and the blessing received often has a gently rectifying and helping effect—beyond the harmonization of one's own situation—on others' lives.

Through tenderness, warmth, harmony, divine Love is discerned as unconditionally active all the time. As we cherish it, we and all mankind will be blessed by its perfect unfoldment of good.