"Love is not always perfect, but it is usually well intended" - Me

"Love is not always perfect, but it is usually well intended!" 
I actually found myself saying this to a past parish member yesterday.  It isn't a quote of someone nobel, deeply spiritual, or extremely smart, just me.  I actually surprised myself !

In the priesthood you can see all manners and means of Love.  It is an amazing and powerful force in our lives and the world. I have witnessed God's Love change people and situations beyond human understanding and only able to be grasped and comprehended by Faith.  It accomplishes things in people that normally would not be the norm without this added dynamic.  It binds us in relationships in a rainbow of variation. We extend Love to spouses, children, parents, BFF's, fiance's,  significant others, girlfriends, boyfriends, colleagues, peers, extended family, and cherished relationships.  I don't think you can enter into a Love relationship without "good and well meaning intent".  However, because of our humanity, cracks and fissures appear, disappointments occur, trust is strained or broken, expectations dashed, and sometimes "it all falls down!"

I am in awe how the true and only power/glue that can fix broken Love is Love itself!  It's that powerful and re-conciliatory!  It is humility, contrite hearts, open minds, extended courtesies, and actions of repentance that re-infuse Love in broken or strained love relationships.  Love heals broken Love better than any other item.  It doesn't come easy!  It doesn't happen quickly!  It doesn't come without personal sacrifice, openness and truthfulness! But it does and can happen!

We are in a culture and time when we don't relate to people that disagree with our points of view even as equal human beings!  We are now quick and tempted to relegate our adversaries in our minds eye as "non-humans" like the images re-shot over and over again as in violent video games that we play in our own homes.  The art of Love is being lost by many, or denied to even more.  We need to relearn the Art! We need to spread it in Abundance!

I'm not meaning like loving homemade ice cream, or a momentary fads or whimsy!  I'm talking about an act of the will; Unconditional, Graceful, Compassionate, Tender/Fragile/Strong and always Trustful!

As John Lennon sang, "All You Need is Love!" Even for me, a result of the 60's and 70's, it may have sounded campy, yet it still holds up over time and pressure.  Whether it be applied in our personal lives and relationships, our places of worship, our businesses, our communities and with those that even would plan to do us harm, Love, just as life, isn't always perfect! However, when we extend it initially or as a means of repairing a broken relationship, we need to do it with the best and purest of intentions!  If we did, maybe we could accumulatively change our world from one riddled with fear and injustice, to one that is improved one word, deed, hug or kiss at a time!  A little loving compassion to loved ones, clients or colleagues goes a long way to build trusting relationships in any context.

We live in fearful times!  We see far too many people forgotten or marginalized!  We are too easy at retaliation and planned means of hatred.  Remember, it's scriptural, There is NO FEAR in Love! Perhaps it's time for us to do our imperfect best efforts, but with good intentions, we try, try and try over and over again till we get it right, just as God would want us to do.  It worked for Jesus!