Where is the Love?

Remember when the Black Eyed Peas weren't annoying and overplayed? I do. The year was 2003 and the song was "Where is the Love?" The song was socially conscious and pleasant to listen to (and it featured J. Timberlake! swoon!). Sadly, I'm afraid those days are gone...as songs like Boom Boom Pow consume our airwaves. Sigh.

Today, I was reading my latest undertaking for spiritual reading- the aforementioned, The Sanctifier- and really taken by the LOVE that IS the Holy Spirit.

We know the Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son. It is through the power of the Spirit that this love is communicated.

We know what it's like to love. It is all consuming. When you love someone, romantically or not, you are concerned for them. You care for them. They are in your thoughts, and you want to spend time with them. Their interests are important to you.

That is my practical, anti-mushy gushy description of love anyways. The chapter I was reading today describes the love of the Holy Spirit like this:

"Is not love the obsession that enslaves all our faculties, that absorbs our lives, admits no rival, and is satisfied with nothing less than our whole being? Is not love the fortunate conqueror who entered through the gates of our heart, we knew not when, and after having gained possession of us, inch by inch, planted his triumphant standard to wave above us..."

Whoa, there, Archbishop Martinez?! Is this a spiritual reflection or a romance novel! Seriously, I am blushing.

So he is saying that the Holy Spirit IS this powerful, intoxicating, all-consuming love for us from God. And that it should also possess all of OUR being.

It makes me think of the Matt Maher song:

"Your Love is Extravagant. Your friendship, it is intimate....Your love's intoxicating..."

I think when I was discerning religious life, it was easy to think of God's love this way because I was thinking of giving my life to Him in a unique way. But it's taken me these last couple of years to see, while religious life is a unique way to express this love, the all encompassing love of God exists for us regardless how we are called to communicate it.

And who doesn't want to be in love? (I'm still open to the Catholic Bachelorette idea...just.saying. ;)

I wrote a blog post on my popblog recently about a Ke$ha song that uses this 'intoxicating' metaphor for love (aka "Your Love is My Drug"...granted, the metaphor is not poetic, and the fact that Ke$ha can carry the metaphor throughout is really the only thing she's got going for her...poor thing...)

Is the Holy Spirit's Love likened to that love of Ke$ha?! I am going to be praying with this idea of the intoxicating love of the Spirit. He is quite the little Cassanova. He's gonna have to go slow with me...remember I am not prone to sweet/cute things... ;)

The Archbishop concludes the chapter with a Gospel quote that I also found helpful for reflection: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be" (Matt 6:21).

Our world tells us our treasure should be monetary or in status or even in fake, lustful relationships. But what do we treasure? In what does what we value lie?

Being a visual/image person, I think of treasure as the archetypal box of gold pirates search for in the deep. What are we searching for, and what would be in that box when we find it? Is it the same thing that Jesus wants for us?

Where is the Love? ;) Seems like the Holy Spirit's got a clue.

Peace,
Julia