This passage of Scripture is truly beautiful in its simplicity and depth. The only law is to love. In this, we see that we are made for love. We are created to be loved by God, and through experiencing his love, we learn how to extend that love to every person we encounter. This vision is, at its heart, a description of the Church—God’s community of love. Yet, with all this talk of love, we must confront an essential question: what is love?
Often, we misunderstand love, thinking of it primarily as an emotion. We talk about falling in or out of love, as if love is something that simply happens to us. Love is frequently associated with feelings of warmth, joy, or comfort, especially in challenging times. But this understanding is both incomplete and misleading. If we reduce love to just a feeling, it becomes passive, an emotion that rises and falls with our mood. This perspective can lead to complacency and even apathy, where we feel good intentions are enough to make a difference in the world. I recall once hearing someone suggest that we could make the world a more loving place by simply smiling at the homeless and the hungry so they’d know they were loved and feel comforted in their poverty. What nonsense! This is the result of reducing love to sentiment. If we accept this view, we are left with symbolic gestures instead of transformative actions.
Authentic love, however, is much more than a fleeting emotion—it is a choice, a deliberate act of the will. To love means to will the good of another, to desire what is best for them. Love, therefore, is not passive; it is active and intentional. And real love requires effort. It demands that we encounter others as they are, that we seek to know them and understand their needs. Once we know someone and engage our reason, we can discern what is good for them and work toward that good. Genuine love challenges us to step beyond ourselves, to forget our own needs for a time and focus entirely on the needs of others.
True love demands action. Instead of merely smiling at the hungry, love compels us to feed them. Love moves us to speak with them, to listen, and to understand the struggles that brought them to this place. Then, love pushes us further, calling us to address the injustices that lead to poverty in the first place. Love demands we act tirelessly so that those we care for no longer suffer. Real love transforms the world, shaping it into the Kingdom of God.
Christ’s law of love is simple, yet it is also the most challenging law we will ever encounter, for it asks for our all. Let us strive, then, not just to feel love but to live it, allowing our actions to reflect the boundless love that God first shows to us. In doing so, we help bring his Kingdom to life here and now.