I heard a very romantic song, this morning. I have mentioned before how I think many of the contemporary Christian music songs are of a romantic notion, holding on to love as the ultimate end. That is what the hope diamond of our faith is, that God so loved the world….

In the Big Daddy Weave song called Without You, love is described in a manner that can only be realized in its purest form. We mess love up so bad, with all the restrictions we place on it, expectations, demands, and suppositions. Praise God, love transcends all that we do to it, providing the fabric core of who we are. It is what is left after we get through mangling it….

From the song, would we hear the sound of breathing in the dark, where would be life’s spark without you. Would the birds every sing, or wind move through the trees. Would the feel of the green grass under the big sky so blue, be the same without you. Who would fill the emptiness inside or ease the pain in my broken heart, who would come in and abide, and promise never to depart, if it weren’t for you.

Most of us want to live in love, in respectful relationships that serve and honor one another. But, we all have quirks, dings and dents that make our hearts ache. Annoyances, pettiness, irritants and sometimes, outright disregard are things that I am sure I introduce to my relationships and with a bit of introspection and honesty, you probably do too.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that we are bankrupt without love. In the simplest of terms, the Message is that love never gives up, or cares for one self then for others, doesn’t want what it doesn’t have, doesn’t strut or have a swelled head. Love doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always me first, fly off the handle or keep score of the sins of the others. It won’t revel when others grovel, but takes pleasure in the flowering of truth. Love puts up with anything and everything, trusts God always, looks for the best, never looks back, and keeps going to the end.

The chorus of the song, sings, that the sun doesn’t shine, the world stops spinning round, and there would be no where to find the peace that floods this heart……without You. Certainly the Big Daddy Weave song was written about the effects of Jesus Christ in your life. But if Christ’s example of love is the standard by which our love should be set, we need to follow the outline of love from the Bible.

Love means I can’t live without You, that I don’t even want to try live one more minute without you……