Two people—Will and Rex—found themselves sitting in that sacred space where words begin to rise out of the heart.
Will spoke first:
“Our love is natural, holy, and sacred. I feel peaceful, happy, content, blessed, honored, and amazed.”
Rex responded quietly but firmly:
“What we have is natural, eternal, and pure.”
I listened to their words and thought to myself—this is where theology meets real life… not in a classroom, but in the human heart.
God Is Love… But What Does That Mean?
For much of my life, I heard people say, “Love is not an emotion.”
And I understand why they say it.
If love were only a feeling, then it would rise and fall like the wind—here today, gone tomorrow. But Scripture tells us something deeper. It tells us that love is rooted in the very nature of God.
God is not governed by changing feelings.
God’s love is constant, faithful, self-giving.
Love is not just something God does.
Love is who God is.
And yet… we are human.
The Way We Experience Love
When Will speaks of peace and joy…
when Rex speaks of something strong and enduring…
they are describing the emotional experience of love.
And that matters.
Love touches the whole person:
- the heart that feels
- the mind that understands
- the body that responds
- the spirit that connects
Happiness, passion, comfort, even longing—these are not enemies of love. They are often the doorways through which we encounter it.
So yes… love is experienced as emotion.
But it does not end there.
Love as Choice, Commitment, and Calling
Scripture stretches us further.
Jesus tells us to love even our enemies. That kind of love is not rooted in emotion—it is rooted in choice, in will, in the decision to seek the good of another.
This is where love becomes something sacred.
When a person chooses to love—truly love—they begin to reflect the very character of God. The Spirit breathes life into that choice, shaping it, deepening it, sustaining it.
Love becomes more than a feeling.
It becomes a way of being.
When Love Feels Sacred
When Will and Rex speak of their love as natural, sacred, eternal, pure, they are trying to put words to something that feels bigger than themselves.
And I understand that.
There are moments in life when love feels:
- peaceful beyond explanation
- joyful beyond circumstance
- meaningful beyond reason
In those moments, it is easy to say,
“This must be from God.”
And perhaps it is.
But the Curious Pilgrim has learned something over the years:
Not everything that feels sacred has yet been tested as holy.
The Slow Work of Love
Real love—the kind that reflects God—does not only appear in a moment of feeling.
It is revealed over time.
It grows in:
- patience
- kindness
- faithfulness
- humility
- self-control
It shows itself in how two people:
- treat one another on hard days
- speak truth when it is difficult
- remain present when emotions shift
- choose each other again and again
Love becomes holy not only because it is felt deeply…
but because it is lived faithfully.
A Gentle Word from the Porch
If I were sitting with Will and Rex on a quiet evening, sweet tea in hand, I might say something like this:
“What you are feeling is real. It is meaningful. It may very well be a gift. But let it grow. Let it breathe. Let it be shaped over time. Don’t rush to define it as eternal—allow it to become enduring. Don’t only call it sacred—live it in a way that makes it so.”
Because love that comes from God will do more than stir the heart.
It will:
- steady the soul
- deepen character
- and widen the capacity to give and receive grace
Closing Reflection
Love is many things at once.
It is:
- an emotion we feel
- a choice we make
- a commitment we live
- and a reflection of the God who is love
The journey is not to decide which one it is.
The journey is to grow into all of them.
A Prayer
O God, who is Love itself,
teach us to receive love with gratitude
and to give love with wisdom.
When our hearts are full, keep us grounded.
When our feelings are strong, keep us discerning.
When we choose to love, shape that choice into something faithful and true.
Let our relationships reflect not only what we feel in a moment,
but who You are through a lifetime.
Amen.
A Blessing
May the love you feel be real.
May the love you choose be steady.
And may the love you live become a quiet reflection
of the God who has loved you first.
The Curious Pilgrim 
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