Staff writer - Maureen Gordon
Valentine’s Day I am sure is celebrated in some shape or form in many countries of the world. What was special about this day when I lived in Asia was that it was not exclusive to couples, but anyone could receive cards, flowers and gifts which signified how special that person was to you. But the gesture of Valentine’s Day is so much more than the commercial furore it has become in the U.K. Demonstrating love in a genuine unselfish way has to be demonstrated 365 days of the year, not just one day when special attention is paid.
I was asked to define love at a youth meeting I attended in Jamaica in 2011. I was taken by surprise by this question. Define love, where would I start. I knew that I would not be able to give a precise answer to the question. I remember saying that it was a difficult word to define because there was so many facets to it. I realised that in regards to young people that this word needs to be defined, explained, demonstrated, and lived out to them. I believe this word love has become distorted, sullied and with little meaning. People say it without hesitation “I love you” but what do they love and what do they want. In the movies and in the entertainment industry it is a word that rolls off the tongue and can snare many with its false platitudes.
The poignant song by Tina Turner “What’s love got to do with it, what’s love but a second hand emotion” speaks of the frustration of trying to understand love, because some things have nothing to do with love.
Love has no boundaries
But what is love you say: I believe the greatest interpretation is found in the bible in 1 Corinthians 13: It is described as the greatest gift and some of its attributes are described: “Love is patient love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, and 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, it always trusts, always hopes, always preserves, love never fails.” This means that love is unselfish it puts someone else first all the time. When we read and assimilate this description of love it seems a hard act to follow but I believe it is the true definition of how we should love others.
This is what we need to teach to our young people about love. Unless we are diligent in teaching our children these truths, they will go and find their own version of love. The love they hear about in song and the love they see being displayed to them on the T.V screen and through advertisers. There is a saying that Love is not a feeling, it is an act of your will. Love is something you act upon and do. The fact is our feelings change, they come and go, so we cannot always feel this emotion and we sometimes cannot trust it.
What is your view, I would value your comments.
