“But now, faith, hope, and love remain; these three: and the greatest of these is love.” Within the framework of the “Church and Law” interview series, Iravaban.net discussed the topic “The Spiritual Nature of Love” with Father Zgon Abrahamyan, the ceremonial priest of Nork-Marash Holy Mother of God Church.
-What does “God is love” mean and how should a Christian understand this fundamental truth?
-Love is one of the most important characteristics of God’s soul. God’s entire creation that has taken place, it happened through divine love’s motivation. All our actions should be motivated by love. We exist in a world where various trials occur, we see evil around us and in all of this, in order to keep our love steadfast and apply it, we must maintain a strong connection with God.
-How does Christianity define love in contrast to secular perceptions (for example, “love is chemistry”)?
-It is very important that we can separate the soul and body from each other. The soul does not obey worldly laws and no chemical compound in the organism, in the body, can create love or conversely – hatred. Love, in my formulation, is life. It is life that has meaning of existence.
-How is God’s love manifested towards humanity (through Christ’s sacrifice as an example)?
-God’s love is first and foremost manifested in the fact that God created man and gave such great honors. Established him as ruler over this earth. If man looks carefully, he will see the consequences of God’s love in everything. The greatest manifestation of love is the sacrifice of God’s son for our salvation.
-Has love decreased in the world because God’s love towards humanity has decreased?
-If we look at the pages of history, we will see that such situations have occurred with humanity, have occurred many times.
-How to understand and apply the commandment “love thy neighbor as thyself,” especially in difficult situations?
-That love which we receive from God is not only given for enjoyment, but also given so that we put it to work. God gives His love and we must share it with one another. We must always think – what is good for this person, how can we be useful to them.
Details in the video
Hasmik Sargsyan
