Love Like.. What exactly? 2.27.15.

I think generally teenagers are confused about love.
As a teenager, I know for a fact that "love" is a word that my friends and I have so overused.
But sometimes you have to look at the real definition of the word.

The definition of the word love, straight out of a dictionary, is "an intense feeling of deep affection."
Affection is defined as "a gentle feeling of fondness or liking."

So the dictionary definition of love contradicts itself. It's an intense feeling of a gentle feeling. Great. Thank you, dictionaries everywhere, for this oxymoron that leaves teenagers like myself agitated.

Here's another definition people like to go by.
1st Corinthians 13:4-7
"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."

But if you're like me and sometimes struggle with the Bible, and it's Old Testament/New Testament/Modern Day relevance in society (don't lie, you've been there!) you're like, um lol, okay. If you aren't a Christian, or a theologist, or anyone who would believe this verse has any relevance, look at it as a dictionary definition for just a moment.

Recently, I have been struggling with my own definition(s?) of "love."

Love for some people in my family. If you don't know that story... Feel free to message me. I'll explain.

Love for some of my friends. I have some pigheaded friends. Who are, in that sense at least, almost just like me. We are a stubborn little group sometimes. We get sick of each other. I get sick of their attitudes and stuff they put up with when they honestly don't have to... Aaand vice-versa.

Love for myself. Let's face it, sometimes it takes other people loving you, for you to give two cents about yourself. I mean, I have been completely angry at God. I have mourned. I have missed. I have cried. I have laughed. I have blown through shows on Netflix. I have reconnected with old friends. Basically, I am a ginormous blob of angst and depression and lack of a sense of self and a bunch of other crap.

Love for people I detest. Hate is a strong word. I'm not saying I don't hate, I'm just saying that it's none of anyone else's business if I do. I'll chase down my own demons, thank you very much. But it is genuinely hard to love someone you detest; especially if that someone is a friend or a relative. It's hard if they live far away. It's even harder when they're dead.

Honestly?
Today I've been thinking a lot about love like Jesus.

I am at a place in my life where it literally just gets on my nerves when people talk about the Bible. Or God. Or healing. Or miracles. Or believing. Or mercy. Or, well, anything like that really. It just... Just no. Please don't. Not around me. I guess my excuse is pain or whatever. Past things. Blah.

But then... There's loving like Jesus.
The penalty for crime in the good old Bible days, was usually death.
Death or torture, you know.
Christians and Christian Theologists believe that Jesus took your place as a liar, stealer, adulterer, murderer, anything really.
He took that penalty, and as an innocent man, died a shameful death.

I think true love, whether you believe this is true or not, is being willing to take someone's place in a punishment for a crime or fault, even when they deserve them. If you love someone so much that when something happens to them, you want to take their place so that they don't have to suffer or pay for what they did, then I think you grasp the ideal love like Jesus concept.

Some Christians wanna sit and look down their noses at people who sin.

Do you even realize what you're doing?
Jesus preached to the Gentiles.
As a Jewish man, some Jews might have agreed, but most didn't. Most Jews didn't want to claim him as the Messiah.

Jesus hung out with the "sinners."
Jesus knew that those he healed weren't perfect. He knew that they were far from perfect.
But Jesus still loved them.
And Jesus took their place.
When people say, "sinner friend..." I just don't think they get it.
We are all sinners, by a biblical definition anyways.
So... Aren't all Christian's "sinner friends?"

So today, I sat here truly grasping the concept of loving like Jesus.

Love doesn't always feel good. Sometimes I'm sure that you want to rip people's hair out that you love, but it's worth it if you really love them. I've had friends do things to me, awful things, and then come to me for help. These same friends have now held me through tears, talked to me all night on the phone, and basically saved my life.

I hope you too, can finally grasp this concept of love. Whether you are a Christian or not, loving someone so much that you're willing to take their guilty sentence is kind of a big deal.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. :)
I'm certainly going to try to.

-T