Unconditional Love

 Last Sunday, I was thinking about the phrase "unconditional love."

God loves us with an unconditional  love.  Agape love. Love that doesn't depend on what we do, or what sins we commit. God loves us unconditionally. I think we wonder if we can love like that. We aren't God, so we wonder about it. We are made in God's image - I believe I love my husband, my sons, my family, unconditionally.  The cat, I'm not so sure about.

But could unconditional love have other meanings, too. 

In Sunday school, we talked about how our society is transactional in nature. You do this for me, I'll do this for you. I'll give you $20, you'll give me part of a tank of gasoline. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. God's love isn't like that. God loves us whether we love God or not. God shows us how to live, commands us to follow God's laws, but if we don't (and we won't, no matter what you think), God loves us anyway.  It isn't an exchange.  It's unconditional.

I suppose loving someone no matter what they do or who they are or become is the other side of the coin of loving them no matter what they don't do. But do we love people WITHOUT an expectation of reward? Do we love people, serve people, without wanting or expecting something in return? Can we allow people to help us without feeling guilty about not returning the help? Can we love without strings attached? Unconditionally?