Our Search For Unconditional Love And Acceptance.
What is it about unconditional love that appeals to the heart of every human being? Is it that love given unconditonally regardless of action, reason or motivating factors is so unattainable in most human relationships? Is it that to be given love for no purpose other than just love is so unusual when compared to the impurity of our own hearts and motives?
Or the emotions of almost every man, woman and child have a crying out need to be filled. Or perhaps to receive unconditional love is the deepest desire of every human heart?
We can recognise, that for most of us, unconditional love is a very rare luxury in our lives. For some it is in such short supply that they aren’t even conscious that they need it. They make do. But all off us have a deepest need for it.
And being accepted? We would all love to be accepted, “warts and all”. But in the world we live in we are ‘pigeon-holed’, categorized and placed by what we have done, what we look like, who we are, etc. Being accepted comes with conditions – do we ‘fit the bill’? ‘The bill’, though, depends on what others have decided is acceptable, good, fitting,etc.
This impossible achievement is for ever dangled in front of us – like a carrot. Our lifetime is spent trying to do the impossible – to be accepted. To this end we chase, strive, perform – whatever it takes to reach the unreachable level that others have set for us.
The challenge can never be won. The game goes on and on. Like endlessly chasing our own tail. Coming close, but never quite getting there. Like a football game where we keep thinking we may be able to score the final goal, only to find extra play has been declared – and the goalposts have been moved anyway.
So why do we do it? And what’s the solution? As mentioned earlier, it really is a fundamental part of the human condition to desire to be loved and accepted. And, what is more, all of us desire to be UNCONDITIONALLY loved and accepted, without having to do anything to achieve it or attain it.
Just to be given this. Our souls cry out for it. Pure, unadulterated, freely given unconditional love and acceptance – to satisfy fully the deepest needs, longings and yearnings of our human heart.
Where can we get this? Is there an answer to the deepest need of the human heart? Can another meet our heart’s deep cry? Can it happen? Or do we give up and acknowledge that this is unattainable – and cease our searchings?
Some would say that it is only in the person of Jesus (claiming to be both man and God come down to earth) that we can find true unconditional love and acceptamce. Others would cry that this is absurd, heretical, wishful thinking, lies, brazen rubbish, the stuff of myths and fables, unproven, fanciful…….
What cannot be ignored, however, is that this particular question has been the source of major discussion and argument over the last two thousand years. And where do WE stand? How does it affect us? Can OUR needs be met thus? Until we seek for the answer to this question, we will never get to the truth.
