Kierkegaard on Love

For one of my courses at Regent - which I have a love-hate relationship with - I'm required to do "additional reading". We have some choice in what we read. Tonight I sat down and read a selection of writings from Danish philosopher/theologian Soren Kierkegaard, collected under the title "The Works of Love" (kind of appropriate given it's Valentine's Day, I guess). There were several things that struck me about Kierkegaard's thoughts on love; especially, that true love perseveres.

These are a couple of the passages that I underlined in my book (apologies for the exclusive language):

The one who truly loves never falls away from love. He can never reach the breaking-point. Yet is it possible to prevent a break in a relationship between two persons, especially when the other has given up? If the lover is determined to not fall away from love, he can prevent the break, he can perform this miracle; for if he perseveres, a total break can never really come to be.

- - -

Does the dance cease because one dancer has gone away? In a certain sense, yes. But if the other still remains standing in the posture that expresses a turning towards the one who has left... then you will say, "Now the dance will begin just as soon as the other comes."

- - -

God perseveres in His love for us! He never reaches breaking-point! I believe the triune God is just like the dancer "standing in the posture that expresses a turning towards" each one of us. In many areas of our lives God perseveres; longing; waiting patiently for us to join Him in the divine dance.

When I read these extracts from Kierkegaard, I also thought of 1 Corinthians 13:7: Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. This is God's love; a love he also wants us to show to others!

Responding to all of this, I wrote a very simple prayer: God - I pray that my love for you and others would be like this! I hope this will be your prayer too.

NICM