What is Love?

Christians in general want to distance themselves as much as possible from the worldly view of love. It goes something like this: the ecstatic feeling termed "love" is to be treasured above all else, morals and whatnot, and that all fate will bend and buckle to achieve the celestial union with one's soul mate. Obviously flawed, right? And so we march out onto the battlefield of ideas will all banners blazing and the choir singing the refrain: LOVE IS NOT A FEELING!

Man is a mystery unto even himself and a curious hybrid. He is spiritual (rather like angels) and also physical (rather like rats). It is easy to ascribe everything to our physical bodies and nothing to our spirits, even those experiences, impulses, and desires which have their seat in the soul. So our first problem, I think, is this hazy term, "feeling," which drifts mistily between emotion and desire and perhaps a spiritual experience. If emotion is raw chemicals running through the bloodstream then it is not much good for anything. But what if it--The Feeling--is more than that? What if it's a Presence?

The single greatest commandment is to love--with all our mind and strength (will? Intellect?) but also with all our heart.

If you were thinking I had the answer, you were wrong. I only have the question.

Any or all of the above may be rank heresy and do not neccesarily reflect what I would call dogmas I ascribe to.