Lorebook: Love

Love was and is the reason for creation, as made most clear by the All-Creator ("The Original Lover"). It is seen prominently in giving. Some do not understand it; but those who witness it are again and again forever changed by it.

Romance

While romance is one aspect of love, love is not strictly romance, going far beyond what is considered romance. However, romance is one of the pinnacles of love as at its finest it demonstrates what love is about: giving and laying down. It also does seek a return of this love (a beautiful phenomena that can lead to Oneness), but continues giving even when that isn't received. True romance, much like love, involves putting another person's needs ahead of one's own, surrendering to something greater than oneself, and truly caring about the person on the other end. Romance also involves affection for the other person and feelings of deep admiration for them (see attraction), often from which these actions and feelings initially stem. This romance is hoped to be requited, though Unrequited Romance ("unanswered" or "unreturned") also does exist. Sometimes precisely out of love for the other and placing their needs above one's own, one will stop their romantic pursuit of them, although if the love be real, love itself (friendly/familially) will continue for them.

Romances can fade as attraction goes down, but the greatest romances involve love that continues beyond the window of that attraction. Marriage, in particular, involves a lifelong bonding and commitment that includes attraction, but also transcends it. For this reason, marriage is not built on a foundation of only attraction. Even when attraction has seemingly "run out", the romance of marriage continues because of the covenant created between the two (now one) involved and the ontological change that has occurred in them making them one. The All-Creator sustains this love that is no longer based on feelings, just as He sustains all other love as well. This can also re-ignite attractions previously experienced, although in the new light of the times spent and things learned that weren't there the first time attraction began.

Because romance generally involves attraction, pursuit, self-giving, laying down (and hopefully, reciprocity of this), and, at its highest levels (Marriage) the bringing together into intense Oneness, it is often used to present the imagery for other occasions of love. Even the Creation can be seen as an act of romance in that the All-Creator admired, pursued, gave, laid down for, and brought together His Creation, particularly people.

Friendship

Friendship is that love extended to others without regard to any bond, kinship, or obligation. No romantic attraction is necessary to ignite this form of love, although Romances have been known to transition into friendships. Like all other love, friendship involves giving and care and ultimately observes the other aspects of love as well (thanking, hurt, and reconciliation). Kindness, found in friendship, is sometimes extended to one who would not consider the one extending it a 'Friend'. In this way, friendship is extended to them whether or not it is recognized. Great friendships usually involve shared interests or beliefs, but have been known to transcend this and can involve great experiences shared even beyond those with very different interests or beliefs. Unlikely friendships have been known to form time and again pointing to the supremely transcendent nature of Love available to those who will pursue and practice it.

Family

Family can spring out of or involve both friendships and romances, but also involves a special bond that exists of "kinship", whether by blood or by other covenants. These covenants are unable to be truly broken by hurt although that is not to say that hurt can not very significantly strain them. While true love is never merely out of obligation, familial ties do necessarily enjoin love because of the Oneness inherent to what family is: more than one person brought into one through "kinship".

Generosity (Giving)

Generosity is fundamental to love. Love fundamentally involves giving while expecting absolutely nothing in return. This seems to surpass or even contradict logic, as it is often not a "fair" transaction, but love is not zero-sum and those who have experienced Love know that somehow they still end up gaining more from this Love then if they were to withhold it because of not receiving it in return. While this generosity extends to concern for future generations or one's kin, it extends far beyond it because it is not about oneself in any way. It is simply about giving, to give and to help someone else. It was by Generosity that the All-Creator created.

Note that generosity does not negate exclusivity, and rather it is much the other way around. Exclusivity is essential to the fullness of true generosity and hence incredibly important for love. General love can and is meant to be given to all life, but certain kinds of love can only be truly given to one place. Trying to be "generous" by giving these forms of love due only to a certain party elsewhere results in not effectively giving them where they are devotedly due in the first place; it actually links with selfishness and inhibits the full giving critical to generosity. Again, other more generalized forms of love can be given elsewhere, but certain love demands devotion and the "forsaking of all others" in order to be actually true to the nature of generosity: laying down and giving.

Gratitude (Thanking)

Gratitude is also fundamental to love and is particularly essential to its reciprocity. While generosity involves giving truly expecting absolutely nothing in return, one way of seeing gratitude is as the elation experienced when the love was reciprocated and something was received in return. However, one can experience and practice gratitude even when this return has not occurred, because of the other things there is to be thankful for. This gratitude (thankfulness) can then be applied to others, even those whom one has no reason to particularly thank, in a further turn of Generosity. In this way, love continually gives and gives, even when others may not give into it.

Hurt (Being Offended or Transgressed Against)

Many are surprised to find that love involves hurt. Love, when idealized, particularly when set upon romance as its finest expression but through a receiving rather than a giving lens, seems to be only an experience of continual elation and joy that does not run out. But love can involve hurt: not hurting the other person, but being hurt and yet continuing to love anyway. Love does no wrong, but it also transcends wrongs and looks beyond wrongs including those done to it. For this reason among others, love is the greatest force and is key to who the All-Creator, who defines Love, is.

Reconciliation (Forgiving; Peace-Making)

The hurt experienced in love can be so great that it creates separation and obstacles inhibiting the free exchange of love and peace that love so deeply seeks. Reconciliation is the healing of these separations and obstacles and the bringing back close of those who have been set far off from one another. True love seeks reconciliation even with those who have wronged it. It doesn't appear to force it, but it does seek after it with a pursuit as fierce (if not fiercer) than the grave.

Oneness

Love ultimately seeks Oneness. Marriage is a particular kind of Oneness to be experienced only by two people made into one by the All-Creator, but Oneness itself is also to be experienced by all of those who love each other, even with the kinds of love not exclusive to Marriage. All love is generous and self-giving, and this is witnessed by any and all who love. This generosity and self-giving, when reciprocated, leads to the Oneness deeply sought for by all of Creation. The All-Creator is the source of Love, and therefore the reason why all of Creation seeks this Oneness so innately and longingly. Ultimately, the All-Creator uses both Romance and Marriage with His Creation as ways to demonstrate how He seeks and will provide this great Oneness with His creation at the Culmination of all things. Even those who never married another person will still see this Marriage, which is the greatest form of Marriage to exist, as it is the bringing together of the All-Creator with His Creation. The All-Creator will still remain above His Creation (neither people nor the rest of creation will become All-Creators) but will be one with it in a mystery that realities like Friendship, Family, and Marriage point to but that is unable to be fully understood yet.