“The measure of love is to love without measure.” Saint Augustine

What is unconditional love? Exactly what it sounds like, love without condition. We cannot truly love if we place conditions upon our giving of it. I’m not certain as human beings we are completely capable of embracing the concept of unconditional love in its truest and purest form, in my heart I believe we can come close.

I know without a doubt I am loved unconditionally by my Heavenly Father, and I return such love in faith. I am loved without condition by the ones who gave me life and by the ones I have given life to. I’ve felt the power of love; I have seen it and I have been blessed with it.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it his not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Mother Theresa said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” It seems to be a part of human nature to judge our fellow man based on nothing more than learned ignorance without regard to reason. While this may not be true for all, it is the unfortunate reality of many. Perhaps those who place conditions upon their love and acceptance of others were never given this gift of powerful and consuming love, and in turn, do not know how to give it.

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” Martin Luther King, Jr..

In their most basic definitions, we take these two words, which together symbolize one of God’s greatest gifts, and we can see the simplistic beauty they create when combined; unconditional love truly means love without condition.

Unconditional: Adj. – Not limited by conditions; absolute.

Love: Noun – There are many definitions pertaining to the word love, among them are . . .

– A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

– A feeling of warm, personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child or friend.

– The benevolent affection of God for his creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.

Unconditional love is the purest of love; it is the truest of love.

It is the love our Lord has for us, the love we carry for him.

Unconditional love is the expectant mother, who without thinking, places her hand upon her growing belly to caress the new life growing within her.

Unconditional love is the father with trembling hands, cradling his newborn babe in the tender warmth of his arms.

Unconditional love is the crying baby, soothed by a mothers soft song.

Unconditional love is sitting by the bedside of someone you love, letting them know it’s okay to let go.

Unconditional love is the butterflies stirring in your heart when that special someone reaches for your hand.

It is a shoulder to cry on, it is forgetting and forgiving.

It is allowing for a mistake now and then.

It is faith, belief, and hope.

It is not expectant, asks for nothing in return and lasts forever.

Unconditional love is a gift worthy to be given and a blessing to receive.

Luciano de Crescenzo whispered beautifully profound words when he said, “We are each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another.”

Crystal R. Cook