Love

I came across this speech excerpt on a friend's blog, and although it's not an entirely Christian perspective, what it proposes and advocates do have some merit. It is seemingly directed at love in a boy-girl relationship, but from a broader perspective, it actually does apply in all our relationships, which include, of course, friendships, and to some extent, "enemy-ship".

What you're going to read below may not be anything new, it may have been something you've heard before (maybe even countless times), they may be ideas which you've already been exposed to. But as we read it, may we continue to reflect on our perspective on love, how we love, and going back to God's word, how Jesus taught us to love and realigning ourselves once more to God's teachings and instructions on love.

"The other side of the coin is this: fall in love.

I didn't say 'be loved'. That requires too much compromise. If one changes one's looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone.

Rather, I exhort you to love another human being. It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false. Modern society is anti-love. We've taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings. It far easier to find a reason not to love someone, than otherwise. Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance. It is hard work the only kind of work that I find palatable.

Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness. In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way. We learn the truth, the worthlessness of material things. We celebrate being human. Loving is good for the soul.

Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important to choose the right person. Despite popular culture, love doesn't happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor. It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming. It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.

You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart.You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back. Its value is to inspire you.

Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. You either don't, or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.

- Quoted from Mr. Adrian Tan's speech at the NTU Convocation 2008 "Life and How to Survive It"

Mr. Adrian Tan a litigation lawyer at one of Singapore's leading law firms. Outside the courtroom, he is known for a variety of funny things, including The Teenage Textbook, which he wrote in the late 1980s.


Emmett