to be loved and to love

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. " -- Moulin Rouge

One of my friend's twit reminded me of this quote from Moulin Rouge. It took me some effort to visit the original Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris two years ago. I still remember vividly how I alighted in Abesses Metro Station and climbed through its stairs, the station was real deep underground! The next stop was the famous Basilique du Sacré-Cœur at the summit of Montmartre. Satisfied with the fresh view of Paris from the top of the hill and a visit to the basilica, I took my breath and went through hilly roads and finally I sighted the Moulin Rouge. Well, enough about Moulin Rouge and a bit of reminiscence, I'd like to share something about love. Again, about love, a word which has gradually lost its deeper meaning..

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -- John 15: 9-13

Why do we love others, how could we love others completely? It is because Jesus has first has loved us. Our love for others is built upon this solid rock! It is a blessed assurance, that the source of our love is the unceasing love of Jesus Christ Himself for us.

I once shared this to a best-friend of mine who once faced a problem of love. As a man, we tend to be more ignorant or "phlegmatic" in some way. I mentioned that, we are like a vessel, and the love of Jesus for us fill up this vessel, it fills this vessel until it becomes full, and it doesn't stop there! It fills up this vessel until this vessel cannot store all of it. That love itself overflows from this vessel to other vessels. And that's exactly what happen for us who's already in Him, that His love should be overflowing from us to others as well!

Well said, but it made me thinking, have I really been there?

"Love is the greatest of all because it's the essence of God's character. Love cannot go against the holiness, goodness, and righteousness of God, and love must be accompanied by the fear of the Lord." -- June 2010