It is not true, that if you appeal to a man's emotions -- his pity, his misery, his sense of honor, or of wonder, -- you may not then make an equal appeal to his reason. For the heart is no impediment to the mind. Even the heart's desire for the fantastical is not altogether unreasonable. It is simply one more thing, the existence of which cannot be gotten around by any maneuver of logic; one more thing which should be admitted into our calculations.
The imagination will have its due, and any picture of reality which does not allow for the existence of miracles will never sit well in the bowels of man. He only sees the world, after all, through the lens of himself, and experiences himself in the midst of his dream. It is natural for perceptions, upon passing through this lens, to become transfigured, embodied in larger-than-life legends, symbols, and characters with personal resonance for him.
These images are not abstracted from the laws and themes for which they stand; on the contrary, they are the fulfillment and the "fleshing out" of those things; their exemplar, and actual manifestation in history. The fact of their subjectivity is no shameful secret; it does not make them less real, but is precisely what allows them to approach mankind, so as to become personal for him.
"Love" is general, while "Christ" is specific. He is One Who Loves, and so lends a face to love in the world. If we cling to him, it is because he provides something tangible to hold. It is a concession to human infirmity, yes, but one which God's mercy evidently permits and puts to good use. And it is nothing if not reasonable.
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