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. 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 the other person (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.

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. 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.

Because romance generally involves attraction, pursuit, self-giving, laying down (and hopefully for the pursuers, 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.