What? CJ holds warm feelings for me? :) of course you do.. cos I speaka da truth...mostly.

Lennons song.. similar to this other one "Imagine" and with about the same depth :)

I'd hesitate to say like he did, but love has many dimensions. Clearly if we think it is love to allow a child (or a migrant) to do things we know will ultimately hurt him/her even though it gives them short term 'joy' over getting 'what they want'... then we might wanna re-think that one.

I'm holding back on too much analysis here.. similar to Dr Strangelove or Dr No.. (whichever) who had a 'hand' which got out of control and tried to choke him..... so... the 'hand of analysis is reaching up toward my throat... am fighting it off!

Lets not lose sight of one important point, that Love is in fact the central theme of both Old and New testaments.
Isaiah 40

1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.

3 A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD [a] ;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God. [b]

Verse 3 is the prophecy about John the Baptist. He made no bones about attacking sin head on...But it is in the bigger context of.. Divine Love, as shown by the first verses. Restoration after discipline.

Boazy, if something claims it is a supreme being and expects you to worship it - then it ain't no supreme being.

Love is unconditional.

Peace and good will to all.

AAAAH Johny.. good point. I remember Maharaj Gi of the Divine Light Mission (to hell) and he accepted worship..and he then got in his rolls..which took him to his personal 747 etc... clearly.. he never raised anyone from the dead.. gave sight to the blind... healed the crippled....

BUT... someone did. And as John says of the reports in his Gospel "But these are written that you may believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life in His name" John 20:31

The Lord Jesus was amazing. Not only did he call on his disciples to deny themselves, but he set the example.. he washed their germ and dust encrusted feet...

speaking of which... the Sultan of Brunei has an interesting title by which he is addressed.

DULI, yang maha mulia.

"Duli" means 'dust' in Malay, and the rest means 'the glorious'...
so.. he has elevated himself so high that he himself is not even addressed by his subjects. They can only address the dust on his feet.

So different and authentic was our Lord. "I came not to be served but to serve"
"As the Father has sent me, so I send you"

Today at gym, I met a bloke with your name "Johnny" He is built like a tank, scary just to look at.. HUGE.. STRONG.... I asked him "Johnny, what do you do?" he replied "Lay Ashphelt"...I continued, "do you do any security work at night?" He replied "No mate..I'm a lover not a fighter" and considering he is Tongan, where there is a very strong Christian tradition, I think I know what he meant.

How wonderful it would be.. "Imagine" if we as a community, returned to 'The' Lord..as our Lord..we might be serving and washing feet, instead of screaming at people who took 'our' parking spot at the Mall.

Johnny Rotten--
I share your view re supreme beings--Spike called it grovelling.

Dear BD,

Yes it would be wonderful if ...

"Please let me live
where honesty's a way of life
and people smile -
then offer you their friendship
without guile -
where strangers find a welcome
and no-one feels alone -
where I am loved
for being me
and not for what I own - "

Digiwigi.... thanx for your contribution.. short but pointed.
I encourage you to look more closely at the Gospels and words of the Lord Jesus.

Foxy.. yes.. true.. I've only ever found that environment among Christian community, it is euphoric to say the least. They/we are not all like that all the time, (reality must be acknowledged) but I do see a remarkable difference in the Body of Christ compared to "This World".

blessings.