“I’m going away,” he said. “And I want you to know that I’m coming back. I love you because …”
“Don’t say anything,” Fatima interrupted. “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” -From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Why do we love? What causes us to love another human being? His quirky sense of humor? The way she makes you feel? The way she looks into your eyes? His laugh, depth, quiet confidence or unshakeable integrity?
Lovers ask, “Why do you love me?” This is a dangerous question, because any response displays conditional love. If I can give you a reason why I love you, what happens if that reason changes? What if your confidence is shattered, your integrity marred, your gaze distracted? What happens to my love then?
I love for one reason: because I have decided to. Label me a romantic. There is one reason I experience real love. God loves me because he decided to. He does not love me because of who I am, but in spite of who I am. His love for me is not based on my character, which can change. It is based on his unchanging character, and there is nothing I can do about it.
If someone asks you, “Why do you love me?”, say, “Because I decided to and there’s nothing you can do about it.” That should make for an interesting discussion.
