Romantic And Divine Love

If we were living truly spiritual lives, says the ancient wisdom, we would find sufficient happiness in God, and in being good. "God" is that from which all things originate, and to which all things must be oriented. "Being good" means doing everything selflessly, for love. Naturally, it is extremely difficult to imagine the fate of human love and human relationship in the face of such transcendence. Nevertheless, before we can transcend, we must begin to imagine what it means, for ourselves, and for our relationships, to be good.

To let love, and lovers, come and go; to make no claim on their body, or their heart, or their time; to love them just as much, when they love somebody else more than you; -- with the notable exception of polyamorous, open relationships, all of these examples of loving bear a greater resemblence to Divine Love than to what we are accustomed to think of as romantic love.

One wonders if it is even possible to love one person more than another, without being (and becoming increasingly) estranged from Divine Love. If we are in spirit, -- and to the extent that we are atuning ourselves to spirit, -- how can we love anyone more than anyone else? Or does love become, -- is love then translated into, -- something else?

We might envision it as some manner of egoless attraction, which does not place the object of attraction above other objects (or people, or souls), but, which recognizes it/him/her as a partner, with whom the Divine has temporarily allied us in the flesh (in order to accomplish some impersonal task) while we are eternally allied to all souls in the Spirit. Such temporary alliances come and go, according to the Will of God on Earth, but we are always united in Spirit.

"On earth as it is in heaven" means: regarding the temporal with respect to the eternal. That is, putting everything in its proper place, with respect to God. Seen from this perspective, the moment we experience an attraction or interest in anyone or anything, our first honesty should be to God. Our first communication should be with God. And if there is to be betrayal, the first betrayal will always be a betrayal of God.

It may be honestly said that most marriages begin after a betrayal has already been made, and even as a consequence of that betrayal, -- of God. Who accounts to God, for the love they bear their spouse? Who asks God's permission to love a mortal? Rather, aren't we all terrified to speak to God of the feelings we bear others? And, if we are not, perhaps we ought to be! Perhaps we should confess our love to God, and say, "Lord, Lord, forgive me! I have fallen in love with a mortal creature, -- and now I am truly mortal!"

How shall we account for our marriages, which we glibly say are "made under heaven"? The only heavenly marriage I know of is that which takes place between the individual soul and God, the creator of souls. Have you been wed to the Divine? Have you been penetrated with Divine Love? Or are you a virgin still, in the ways of the Spirit? Do you preserve yourself from the One who preserves, and give yourself willingly to mortal creatures? And call yourself "faithful"?

These are questions which need to be asked,
contemplated, and, presumably, answered.


"On Earth, as it is in Heaven..."