Evidence of God

We have all heard the verse that defines who God is in four letters; God is love. But God is also all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, and ever existing. So, how can His definition be as simple as “God is love” if He is all of these other things too? If you think about it, all of those other descriptions are also characteristics of true love. “Love” is the beautifully simplistic way that we wrap up all of those other attributes into one easily understood and communicated package.

Here is how I came about this thought:

Over the past month, I have been learning a lot about myself and those around me. When you are thrown into a difficult situation, (not difficult like swimsuit shopping, difficult in the sense of life and death and seemingly impossible tasks) you have the rare opportunity to really see yourself in an honest light. Sleep deprivation, stress, emotional pain, and mental exhaustion, all strip away your facade that you work so hard to maintain and exposes you at your ugly core. The truth is that I didn’t think I was actually capable, or willing, to do many of the things I found required of myself. So many times I would imagine what I considered to be the worst case scenario and thought “I just could never do that” and yet here I am doing it.

So what empowers people to do what they can not do?

Love.

When you deeply and truly love someone, you find yourself doing all sorts of things that twist your gut into knots and leave you shaking in your boots. Love is strength. Love is power. Love keeps going when you’ve been awake for inhumane hours. Love keeps you from falling apart when you are supporting someone you love. Love motivates you to solve the problem no matter what it takes, because your priority is not self-focused.

Love never fails to give you exactly what you need because it is strength.

Without love, there is only weakness. How can I say that when hate has motivated people as well? Hate is a strong and motivating emotion, but it can not exist without love. I would propose that hate is actually the natural reaction to the perceived, or literal, attack on love. Confused yet? Think about it.

“I hate that religion.”
(because I love my way of life and belief)

“I hate that race.”
(because I love my race)

“I hate that person.”
(because they affected something I love negatively)

“I hate my job.”
(because it takes me from what I love to do)

I personally don’t believe that people possess the ability to hate something or someone without reason or motivation. Sometimes the reason is selfish or petty, but there is a motivator of some sort, none the less.

Love, on the other hand, is not reactionary. It can be a reaction to something positive, but it also has the ability to be completely autonomous. For a quick example, think of the adoption of a baby, it is going to cost you money, it is going to keep you up at night, it is going to limit your freedom, it is going to demand that you share your snacks, it is going to embarrass you, it is going to take priority over your goals and dreams, and then when it doesn’t need you anymore, it will leave you to have it’s own life. Why bother? It’s not your baby. You are not obligated or biologically (hormonally) inclined to attachment. Logically speaking, you don’t have anything to motivate feelings for that baby beyond apathy or maybe pity. However, if you talk to an adoptive parent, you will find unbridled love and devotion.

True love is self sacrificing. True love is not self focused or self concerned. Love doesn’t care about the cost. Love just fills the need because it is the supreme source of strength. Love doesn’t bother itself with wondering if it can, it just does.

Love doesn’t make sense. That is why I see it as evidence of God. Love is not entirely necessary for survival or advancement so why does it exist? You can explain away some of the attributes of love as being evolutionarily necessary for survival, but not all of them. Humans would not have come up with this idea, so where is it’s source?

God is love.

Love is who He is.