Love is....

Morning Meander 2-03-09 Love is in the Air…. Love hurts….. The Trouble With Love…. Diamonds are a Girls’ Best Friend…. What popular love song sings in your inner ear as Valentine ads and articles start to pop-up? (Add to the conversation with your comments below. You never know what’s going to stick. Sometimes it’s a long term favorite. Sometimes is something new and thought provoking. Sometimes it’s a catchy tune but the words make us wince. The third “Simple Rule” asks us to stay in love with God. How can love be a “rule?” Isn’t it a flight of fancy, a dance of the heart? How can a rule help me stay in love with anyone, much less God? My idea of “rule” is formed by my grade school years, and, if I’m honest, so are a lot of my ideas about Valentine’s day. Rules are things other people make me follow and love should be whimsical, sweet, and a little shy. Somehow I suspect that’s not exactly what Wesley had in mind when he invited us to “stay in love with God.” What if a rule were a measure, or a framework for taking stock and making sense of all the various experiences and ideas of love? What if love was about trust and helping each other become the best person we can be? How can I really stay in love with someone or some God I never talk to…never spend time with…never ask what’s happening in their lives and souls? What really rules the way I spend my time and energy? Valentine’s day is a lovely celebration of what tips us into love with another person and the third simple rule is an essential reminder of what it takes to stay in love, with God, a love that makes the way we love each other stronger and more meaningful as well. So this year as the day for celebrating love draws near, I’m thinking about what “rules” will shape my love. What are you thinking of?