There once was a time when a doctor knew not to step over professional boundaries. There might be casual conversations during visits but never too probing. At least, that's how I remember it. Today, our culture is changing so rapidly, we can barely catch our breaths.
This past June, I received an email from my doctor's medical network. Basically, it's a conglomerate with a communication "engine" that reaches thousands of patients. Most of the communications, in the past three years, have been about COVID-19, vaccines, B-12 and flu shots, and not much else.
But, this email was different and a bit off-centered. The subject line read: "We Celebrate Pride Month With Our Patients." That really captured my attention as it was clearly stepping over the professional line and into that dreaded territory of possible virtue signaling. You know, accept everyone's "preferences," not just during Pride Month, and we'll get along just fine.
Since my curiosity was fully piqued, I opened it without hesitation. When I read the opening line, I laughed out loud.
Here's what it read:
"It matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love, or how you love. It matters only that you love." John Lennon.
It was sheer irony knowing the life of John Lennon and his history with women. But, that's not really the point of this post. It's about defining REAL love and how each individual chooses to share it (or not). Anyone reading the above quote can see that his idea of "love" is oxymoronic and circular. Also, it's quintessential "worldly" and with what moral standard does he even speak? And, why did my doctor's network/marketing team feel possessed to send such an over-the-top message heavy-ladened with cultural appropriation regarding love and sexual preferences? Do they think they're inextricably linked?
God's definition of love is well-defined and filled with everything a Christian could hope to emulate (as Christ did during His time on Earth). In John 15:13, Jesus states, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." So, love is sacrificial!
And also, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. That's what a godly standard resembles in both passages.
Allow me to attempt a macro-level examination of John Lennon's comment(s) about love in light of Scripture.
"It matters not who you love."
Here, he implies (without clarification) that you can love anyone or anything whether in marriage or out, whether age appropriate (or not), whether familially romantic (or not), whether monogamous or polyamorous, or whatever relationship comes to mind with no stated boundaries. The Bible has very clear boundaries about love as you will see.
"It matters not where you love."
I'm not at all sure what this means to be honest. I mean, we love people with our hearts (and minds) and carry out our affections respectfully in appropriate places (I hope). So, is he implying that we need to be exhibitionists? This one's cryptic, and I can't even attempt to explain it.
"It matters not why you love."
It actually does matter why we love because God is the standard of it all. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.'” Mark 28:30-31.
We are clearly to love our neighbors as ourselves essentially putting their needs above our own - thus sacrificially walking it out but always loving God first!
"It matters not when you love."
So is John Lennon saying we can just fall in and out of love without ramifications because it matters not when? This one's another head-scratcher! God wants us to love at all times and with forgiveness. "Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.'" Matthew 18:22.
"It matters not how you love."
Here, he's not acutely aware of the actions of love when sloppily using the word "how." It's dangerous and irresponsible. If you love aggressively for example, what then? John Lennon was reputed to have been an abuser of women, so his standard here is troubling.
"It matters only that you love."
With absolutely no clear definition, John Lennon casts a wide net regarding love in an extremely nebulous way. Sadly, it's not profound, vetted, or remotely godly. The Beatles wrote a song called "All You Need is Love" and the world went crazy! The lyrics are a repetition of the word love with no context in its application.
Thankfully, God shows us in His amazing Word everything we need to understand love and its application. And with His Spirit, we can actually decipher worldly love from godly love. Love is the subject of God's greatest commandment - love Him and your neighbor.
1 John 4:8 says it all! "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
God establishes what love is and He is the standard. When we get our worldly ideas of love out of the way and live by God's standards, we can truly KNOW and LOVE Him. And again, to love our neighbors as ourselves is sacrificial. Jesus was the epitome of this type of unending love for His children. Now that's a prescription for love!
Comentarios