Holding All Things Together: The Primacy of Unconditional Love

By Ernest Bodenweber

Dante observed that love governs the sun and all the stars. It also governs life, for without it, life would not be worth living. There are concepts of love, however, which are inaccurate or downright distorted. The love of which Dante speaks, and which is affirmed in religion, is expressed in the Greek word agape. It is unconditional, emanating from God, and essential for wholeness in human relationships. This brief book is an attempt to underscore its indispensableness for spiritual maturity, mental health, and meaningful living.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546227076

Ernest Bodenweber

Ernest Bodenweber is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He served churches in Cummington, Westwood, and Sudbury Massachusetts, and in West Haven, Conn. In retirement he has been associated with the Foundation for Community Encouragement, the United Ministry in Higher Education, and the Yale New Haven Hospital. He graduated from Denison University, and Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. His previous books include A Journey with God, And Wait for The Lord - Prayers for Daily Living.

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© 2018 Ernest Bodenweber. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/30/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-2705-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-2706-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-2707-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018901418

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The RV New Testament was released In 1881; the Old Testament was published in 1885. The ASV was published in 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons. In 1928, the International Council of Religious Education (the body that later merged with the Federal Council of Churches to form the National Council of Churches) acquired the copyright from Nelson and renewed it the following year.

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Scriptures taken from King James Version (Public Domain)

I am grateful

to Martha Smith, whose suggestions and editorial improvements were invaluable.

For Kenneth Appley, Kimball Cartwright and David Maier

With appreciation for the ideas and insights

they have shared in our breakfast club over many years.

D ante observed that love governs the sun and all the stars. It also governs life, for without it life would not be worth living. There are concepts of love, however, which are inaccurate or downright distorted. The love of which Dante speaks, and which is affirmed in religion is expressed in the Greek word agape. It is unconditional, emanating from God, and essential for wholeness in human relationships. This brief book is an attempt to underscore its indispensableness for spiritual maturity, mental health and meaningful living.

J esus’ magnetic personality attracted people. He inspired and heartened people. He healed people. He taught people as one having authority (Matthew 7:29). True as this is, it is no secret that others have done the same; as Edgar Dewitt Jones reminds us, These talents alone would not have given him the permanent place of power he occupied; that place is his by virtue of the new and simple and profound doctrines which he brought—the universal, loving Fatherhood of God and the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. ¹

Jesus lived the love of God, and this above all is what’s made him who he was, and is.

A man remarked that the more he saw of people the better he liked his dog. While mindful of the cynicism in this, it yet reminds us of the dog’s unconditional love. There are therapeutic dogs trained to circulate among hospital patients. A dog doesn’t judge a person based on his or her strengths or weaknesses; the friendly nuzzle of a pup is soothing, even healing.

T he New York Times editorialist David Brooks observed that there is an epidemic of conditional love. He wrote, Many parents bestow or withdraw affection depending on how well their children are achieving, producing millions of young people without secure emotional foundations. ²

Parents need to love their children simply because they are their children. If they feel rejected because they don’t measure up, as adults they will likely feel insecure and unworthy. Not only that; but it will compromise their