Love. What a power! - A guest post by Kay Olson, CSB

“LOVE.  What a word!  I am in awe of it.” So wrote Mary Baker Eddy in her book, Miscellaneous Writings.  (249)

She went on to exclaim: “Over what worlds on worlds it hath range and is sovereign!  The un-derived, the incomparable, the infinite All of good, the alone God, is Love.” (ibid. 250)

As a human quality, love is lovely and can be deeply felt and movingly effective in harmonizing our daily round.  We can fall in love, be enthralled at a baby’s smile, and be touched at the kindness of a stranger.

But, the Love that is God - the underived and infinite - is power untold.  It is grand, noble, magnificent, unassailable, without an opposite.  Love is the eternal Almighty.

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Love doesn’t need someone or something to bring it forth. It is not dependent on another person or a place or a special event. Love loves as the sun shines.  It is what it is.  It is kind, compassionate, impartial, gentle, and mighty.

I’ll never forget when I first felt the mightiness of Love many years ago.  I was sitting on the edge of my bed thinking about my son when he was a toddler. Suddenly, I felt a tangible push!  I was in awe. I knew it was love. I felt the push of a Love greater than the human love of a mother for her child.  It was, unmistakably, God, Mother-Love, the source of my mother-love.

From the moment of that push on, I have known that there is not a single moment when I, or anyone else, is separated from the Love that is God.

On the road one day to visit a friend, I noticed a car following me.  At first, I didn’t pay too much attention, but when I made a turn towards my friend’s house, I saw that the car was still behind me. I wondered if that person was going to visit my friend, too!    

When I stopped, the car behind me stopped, also. A lady I had never seen before hopped out and rushed towards me.  She obviously had something to say.  I rolled down the car window and she started screaming. She was furious.  She let me know in no uncertain terms that the first turn I made was illegal.  I didn’t think so, but I told her I was sorry. She kept shouting.

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At first, I felt like dropping to the floor of the car in a puddle.  Then, I began to think of the power and presence of Love - the Love that was right where road rage seemed to be.  As I prayed, I thought of how Love is All, encompassing all, the totality of being. No one was excluded from love.

She suddenly stopped, as if someone had turned off a faucet.  There was silence. We looked at each other.  Then she turned and walked slowly back to her car. I went into my friend’s house, inspired by the power of Love.

Love is our real nature.  Love, God is substance – the only real substance, in fact. Man - a generic term including us all as God makes us - is the image, or reflection of flawless, perfect Love. Love, God establishes and maintains everyone’s real identity. Love creates us to be balanced and clear, and a simple protest on the side of divine Love, in prayer, is enough to bring out this spiritual fact in ourselves and others.

Love, God, is so powerful, that evil or hatred cannot stand in its presence.  The mortal thoughts and behaviors that would try to make us feel separate from God – like anger, revenge, impatience, irritation, rage - melt at Love’s touch.

No one owns love. It isn’t personal. No one has more of it than any other one. Love’s expression is what we are – all of us. Knowing this can relieve one of the struggles associated with a personal, limited or obstructed sense of love.

A beautiful Psalm says, “The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted… Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (46)

Love is exalted in the earth. Right where you are, where I am, the mighty love of divine Love is perfectly reflected.

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Kay Olson is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher. She can be reached at kayolson@mindspring.com.