Day 3
Who is God (by definition)? According to the Bible, God is love (1 John 4:8). God is a Spirit and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This defied the expectations of my Muslim neighbor and friend, who could not accept this limiting definition of our God – our Creator and Sustainer.
In the Hebrew Bible, we refer to God no longer as Baali (my master) but ishi (my man or my husband) (Hosea 2:16). Both Hebrew words refer to a husband, but ishi is a love-based relationship, not a fear-induced constraint with an imbalance of power as in Baali.
While in Islam, Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala is Al-Wadood (The Most Loving, The Most Affectionate), Allah is not referred to as a husband. He has no wife or children.
Following the resurrection of all souls, according to the gospel, people will not marry in heaven, but be like angels (Mark 12:23-25). What a stark contrast this is from the Islamic vision of Paradise. Instead of marriage being obsolete as predicted by a first-century Biblical Jesus, in an Islamic Paradise, believers will have purified mates or spouses. One version is accurate or both are inaccurate.
In an Islamic Paradise, believers who did righteous, good deeds will reside in gardens where rivers flow. Maybe I’m suffering from the grass is always greener complex, because as a single person on earth, I long for marriage in Jannah (Paradise). In Islam, marriage is half your religion (deen), so I feel incomplete. I am not an angel, nor do I have the desire to become one.
According to C.S. Lewis, there are four types of love: affection, filial (brotherly), erotic (romantic), and agape (God’s love). Without even one of those types of love, our experience is incomplete. Romance fuels our actions. Agape holds us in a divine embrace. It is natural to love our sisters and our brothers. We have at least a basic sense of affection for objects familiar to us. Why are Christians not admitting the importance of romantic love? Different Christian sects allow for a vow of chastity. Islam and Judaism do not incorporate monasteries in their religious worldview. Human nature requires us to marry.
There is such a thing as crossing the line from wholesome, marital bliss to harmful, sexual acts outside of marriage. God blesses us with the possibility of a sacred, physical union between a husband and wife. I am not talking about pornography, but true, sanctified romance with its intoxicating possibility (Kierkegaard). Pornography is destructive, but romance gives life. The beauty of monotheism is that there is one God giving agape love and our response is love – no less. Pure love and acts of devotion strengthen our souls. Love is patient and kind... (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Love is laughter. Love is happily ever after.
“It’s only love that gets you through” (Sade).
Homework:
Describe your love life. Is there any romantic relationship you keep hidden for fear of punishment or public censure?
How do you freely express love (viz., through poetry, music, dance, etc.)?
Do you feel worthy of love?
Look in the mirror. Who do you see? What do you love about yourself and what do you want to improve?
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