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What if love was simply an end in itself? What if love was not a means to another end, but simply the point? Would that be enough reason to love . . . for the sake of love alone? Didn’t Jesus say this was his greatest commandment, to love? To love God, others, and ourselves?
Allow me to hypothetically pose some questions: What if as Jesus’ church we went out and simply loved with no other goal but love itself? If we knew they would never come into our church—would we love them? If we knew they would never give a dime to the church, would we love them even then? If we as the church did not profit in any way—would we love? What if we as the church actually suffered loss because of love—would we love? Humor me here, what if God’s love and forgiveness extended to all of humanity, and though in the end they would still have the God given choice to reject his love and forgiveness, it released us from the burden of people’s eternity and gave the burden of judgment back over to God—would we love? In other words, if our love of others wasn’t a means for the end of heaven, but simply an end in itself—would we love? If there was no other motive but simply Jesus’ love and the intrinsic value of the other person, would we love? If all that was left was humanity, God, and the earth, would we—as followers of Jesus and his way—love our fellow humans simply for love’s sake?
What if we took Jesus at his word and trusted his love enough to only do just that, love. What if through our love—or more appropriately, his love through us—others find themselves back in the arms of his love? What if by receiving Jesus’ love through us they then begin to follow suit in loving God, others, and themselves?
But if we love simply for love’s sake, why love? Perhaps because other humans are worth it. Perhaps because Jesus commanded it. Perhaps because the Holy Spirit leads us in it. Perhaps because God is it—love. Perhaps these reasons alone are reasons enough to love as an end, not as a means.
One more reason: Because your Daddy [God] loves you simply because he loves you . . . and for no other reason.
[UPDATE: Tracy over at The Best Parts shed some more light onto this topic here.]
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