Love: An Open Question

By Hakeem Babalola

The word Love is perhaps the most offensive reproach act of expression characterised by physical or psychological maltreatment all over the world. Everywhere, irrespective of location, people abuse and misrepresent a word so capable of granting them the elusive freedom; a word meant to be the hidden treasure of living.

Continent to continent, nation to nation, community to community, family to family, human beings have altered this word called love to the extent of making it unrecognisable. It has been defiled to the extent of losing its original value of existence. Today, talking about relevance, the word love needs more questions than answers. Let’s get started –

The meaning of love: Is it the same in different continents, nations, society, culture, family and so on? The meaning of love: Does it change with the passing of times and, or new inventions? Like many other thing, has technology changed the meaning of love?

What does love depend on? Or is it an island onto itself?

Can love survive without food and drink? Can love grow alone?

Does love based on class, status, money, material things etc.?  Yes, as in the rich loving the rich and the poor loving the poor?

Is unconditional love a realistic or antithesis to the nature of love?

Do parents love their children unconditionally? Do they? Can they? Or, is the love between parent-child exceptional? What makes a parent loves one child more than the other?

In the bible, what makes Rebecca who has two children – Isaac and Jacob – conspired against the former in favour of the latter?  Is it LOVE?

Does it exist: Love at first sight – does it really exist?

Can someone really love a complete stranger? Can a man truly love a lunatic woman or can a woman love a lunatic man already dancing in the market?

Love, does it have stages in life? Can love be developed as you get to know someone or something better? Or is it a black and white thing? Is it either you love or you don’t love?

By nature, is love selfish? Is love about self but pretending otherwise? Do you love someone for who or what they are; or you love them because of yourself?  

What exactly do we mean whenever we say I love you? Is being in love the same as loving someone? Does LOVE cheat?

Who, what controls love: Is it LOVE itself; or those who claim to love each other? Is love created to last forever or is it a temporary thing? What makes love fade? Is it LOVE itself, or those in love?

What is the reciprocal of love? Is it 50/50 as beautifully sung by that legendary singer, Teddy Pendergrass? Or is it 40/60 or 30/70 and so on? Does it actually exist? 50/50 love - Does it exist?

 “I love you,” people often say.  But do they really know the meaning of what they say each time they say it? When we say that I love him or I love her or I love it, do we understand the deep and true meaning of our expression? Or do we say it for saying sake?

The bible describes Love thus: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs." – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Is the bible position assured regarding today’s love? Today’s LOVE, is it different from yesterday’s LOVE?

Also, the bible always talks about faith, hope and love. And it says out of these, love is the greatest. If it is the greatest, why is it diminishing in value, or why is it always misrepresented and, or abused? Is the world gradually witnessing the death of love – just as marriage is fast going out of fashion?

Does LOVE kill? Does LOVE make you kill? Can love lead to killing? What makes them that profess love for each other result to killing or murdering in some cases?  

I ask again, can love survive on its own? Can love survive without food and drink? Can one hide love? Can love be suppressed? Is it possible for one person to love two, three or more people the same?

Can love be confused with other emotions like infatuation and obsession? Does love really need to be quantified? Like using true love, fake love, unconditional love, and genuine love?

Ha-ha, greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.  
– John 15:13.

Why then do husband and wife say, “Till death do us part”? Why not “Till we die together”?

How realistic is this in such a materialistic existence as ours: Love thy neighbor as thyself?

If “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is not a realistic proposition, does it then mean human beings are incapable of Love – but pretending?

Can human race eventually benefit tremendously if we do love our neighbours as ourselves?

Love thy neighbor as thyself – Can it lead the human race to grasp the unidentifiable hardships we have created for ourselves? Is loving your neighbor as yourself is the answer to human race tempestuous agony? From leaders to rulers to followers to spouses to lovers –

If the meaning of love sinks deep into our medulla oblongata, will it then be the elusive solution to poverty, robbery, fraud, cheating, greed, manipulation, propaganda, power drunk – and other depressing issues leading us to the pit of ….

Or, is love (be it Storge – empathy bond; Philia – friend bond; Eros – romantic love; Agape – unconditional "God" love) a bond that cannot be explained? Is love meant to be a mystery – beyond human comprehension?