CRAVING LOVE BUT FINDING A MIRAGE

While this world might be an oasis on a difficult journey, it is not a 5-star hotel. It will not fulfill all of our desires. Meanwhile, for many, heaven is little more than a distant mirage. Consequently, we expect to find our 5-star hotel here and now.

Terrell Clemmons quotes from New Zealand journalist Briar Whitehead’s book, “Craving for Love”:

·       I responded only to a certain “type” and never others. And once I had found him, I hung on for dear life…Each relationship seemed to be more intense than the last and in each case the size of my world would shrink down to the size of the person I could not do without. (Salvo, Winter 2017, 23)

Whitehead likened her addictive craving to what all sexual addicts crave – the 5-star hotel, which will satisfy all of their needs. However, she learned that such mansions can only be found in heaven:

·       It usually starts out as a simple reaching for something that is missing in the life of a child. We are all born into this world as “little love sponges,” made for a perfect, pure, unselfish love. But of course, not even the best of parents are capable of pure, perfect love. Only God is. So although we were made for it, we don’t get it, and this is where our troubles begin. We go looking for substitutes to fill our growing, thirsty sponge. And flesh-and-blood people, being visible and more tangible than God, make easy God substitutes. (24)

Think of this life as an arrow. It cannot be eaten, but it points to the place where an endless feast awaits us. Understanding this, should teach us contentment with our present less-than-ideal circumstances.

The Christian philosopher, C.S. Lewis argued that since so many of our needs – food, drink, family, sleep, companionship, and sensual gratifications – are presently met here, it is likely that our overriding need for love will also be met, although not now.

The Bible assures us that all things are ours:

·       So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 ESV)

To embrace this truth is also to embrace patience and contentment, something that has allowed Whitehead and many others to live in peace in their mud hut.