Sorry, Brandon. Somehow I missed this reply. Thanks for this. Yes, this one's close to my heart, and you may have just inspired to me write my next post on it. This is a notion that was driven home to me by George Macdonald. In short, "unconditional love" is overrated, not because it isn't wonderful, but because it's only about half of the love that we need. Our longing for love is a longing for TWO fundamental things at the same time: The first is Acceptance, which is what we generally mean by 'unconditional love'; and the second is Admiration, which we're often embarrassed to admit, but it's true. The trouble, of course, is that we're sinners. Though we long to be admired, we are not ourselves as *admirable* as we'd like to be. Of course, we can still be *accepted* in our non-admirable state, but we desire more, We were made for more. We don't want to live in the Truman Show. We want a world in which, when people (and, more importantly, when God) love and admire us, they are not just treating us with some sort of fictional imputation of undeserved affection. In short, where they admire us, *because* we are admirable. But again, how, if we are not? Enter George Macdonald's perfect phrase: "Love loves unto purity." Wherever the Father sees something lacking in his beloved, he does not simply "love it anyway." He does more. He loves it into deeper loveliness, so that he might love it more. His love operates in a centrifugal pattern (spiraling out), and so do our loves if we love like him. First we PERCEIVE the beloved, with all their beauties and imperfections. Then we PURCHASE or commit to the whole person, knots and all, no matter what (unconditional love!). But then we go further. We love in way which PURIFIES the beloved, which helps to prune the other of all their dead branches, so that they can become the fruitful tree they were meant to be. Then we PRAISE them, not according to some fictional representation within our own love, but in a way that tells the truth about all that is good and noble and worthy about the beloved. Then, as we do so, the cycle continues. We get to know the person more deeply, and we learn more things about them which are beautiful but also perhaps deeply flawed. We buy into them all over again, because now we know more. We help to prune them. Then we praise some more, in a never-ending cycle. That's what I think love is like.
Can’t tell you how much I love all of these. Oh what rich conversation & community I long to be able to have in learning to live out wisdom like this.🙏
Yeah this is a favorite. I love the proverbs and it's great to have that style brought to our language here and now. "Do not trade beauty and goodness for truth." Noted.
Excellent thoughts. I'm sure you have plenty of thoughts to expound on these, but this one in particular, I would love to hear.
"Love…Perceives → Purchases → Purifies → Praises (repeat). This is how we are loved by God. This is how we must love others."
Sorry, Brandon. Somehow I missed this reply. Thanks for this. Yes, this one's close to my heart, and you may have just inspired to me write my next post on it. This is a notion that was driven home to me by George Macdonald. In short, "unconditional love" is overrated, not because it isn't wonderful, but because it's only about half of the love that we need. Our longing for love is a longing for TWO fundamental things at the same time: The first is Acceptance, which is what we generally mean by 'unconditional love'; and the second is Admiration, which we're often embarrassed to admit, but it's true. The trouble, of course, is that we're sinners. Though we long to be admired, we are not ourselves as *admirable* as we'd like to be. Of course, we can still be *accepted* in our non-admirable state, but we desire more, We were made for more. We don't want to live in the Truman Show. We want a world in which, when people (and, more importantly, when God) love and admire us, they are not just treating us with some sort of fictional imputation of undeserved affection. In short, where they admire us, *because* we are admirable. But again, how, if we are not? Enter George Macdonald's perfect phrase: "Love loves unto purity." Wherever the Father sees something lacking in his beloved, he does not simply "love it anyway." He does more. He loves it into deeper loveliness, so that he might love it more. His love operates in a centrifugal pattern (spiraling out), and so do our loves if we love like him. First we PERCEIVE the beloved, with all their beauties and imperfections. Then we PURCHASE or commit to the whole person, knots and all, no matter what (unconditional love!). But then we go further. We love in way which PURIFIES the beloved, which helps to prune the other of all their dead branches, so that they can become the fruitful tree they were meant to be. Then we PRAISE them, not according to some fictional representation within our own love, but in a way that tells the truth about all that is good and noble and worthy about the beloved. Then, as we do so, the cycle continues. We get to know the person more deeply, and we learn more things about them which are beautiful but also perhaps deeply flawed. We buy into them all over again, because now we know more. We help to prune them. Then we praise some more, in a never-ending cycle. That's what I think love is like.
Excellent💝
Can’t tell you how much I love all of these. Oh what rich conversation & community I long to be able to have in learning to live out wisdom like this.🙏
Thank you so much, Kathryn. And thanks for reading!
These are great Ross! Your writings have been a Blessing throughout the year. Looking forward to more of this wisdom!
Thank you, John! Have really appreciated your faithfully reading and commenting. It's a great encouragement to keep doing what I'm doing!
Yeah this is a favorite. I love the proverbs and it's great to have that style brought to our language here and now. "Do not trade beauty and goodness for truth." Noted.