San Augustine once said, “What I needed most was to love and to be loved, eager to be caught.”

We fall in love with the idea of being in love and that reflects the innate desire that humans have for connection, intimacy, and companionship. This resides within every human heart; it encapsulates that in the end, all we want is to be embraced and understood by another soul. Who would’ve thought that a chubby cherub also known as Cupid could cause such a whirlwind of emotions and chaos with just a flick of his tiny bow?

As Valentine’s Day passed, it got me thinking about love — how cliche, such a frustrating emotion that everyone would die to feel. We find ourselves in its grasp and yet despite the chaos and uncertainty of love, humans are inevitably and inexplicably drawn to it.

But here’s the thing about love, it is not a rational calculation or a carefully crafted plan that we manage to fit within our agenda. Love is a paradox; it can bring us the greatest joy but also the deepest pain, often at the same time. It is a balance between ecstasy and agony, passion, and heartache.

My favorite part about love is its versatility, how it can adapt to diverse circumstances. It is not bound by rigid structures or predetermined expectations. Instead, it thrives on spontaneity, creativity, and authenticity.

Love inspires acts of compassion, empathy, and nobility. That spark that you feel when you are falling in love is indeed real, though it is not something tangible that you can see, rather it is a moment of realization of “this is it.” As banal as it may sound, love is not something that you can figure out right away, it is about patience. It is the gentle touch of a hand, the whispered words, and that laughter that echoes through the years. Love has no boundaries, it travels through cultures, using souls as a timeline for emotions. Love demands courage to open your heart fully, knowing that it may be broken or mended in the process, yet choosing to take the leap. Love is not limited to romantic relationships alone. It grows in the bonds of friends, the warmth of family ties, and the kindness of strangers. It is the selfless acts of service, the shoulder to lean on in times of need, and the steadfast support that lifts us when we stumble. In the grand scope of existence, love is the golden thread that eventually ties us together, to reach beyond ourselves, extending a hand to those in need.

So, as we reflect on the complexities of love, let us embrace its contradiction and celebrate its beauty. For in the end, love is not just a fleeting emotion, but the very essence of what it means to be alive.

1 Corinthians 16:14

“Let all that you do be done in love” ESV