Love Above all else:
In a world often fragmented by differences, polarized by ideologies, and driven by the pervasive grip of fear, the timeless message of "Love above all else" emerges not merely as an idealistic sentiment, but as a potent beacon of hope and a profound, urgent call to personal and collective transformation. This universal principle, deeply embedded within the core tenets of numerous spiritual traditions, is expressed within both A Course in Miracles (ACIM) and the Holy Bible. Together, these texts illuminate a unified path, guiding us toward genuine peace, radical forgiveness, and an understanding that transcends the superficial divisions of the material world.
The Foundation of Love: A Shared Command
Both A Course in Miracles and the Bible unequivocally place love at the absolute pinnacle of spiritual practice and understanding. It is crucial to grasp that this love is not merely a fleeting emotion or a passive feeling; rather, it is an active, dynamic principle, a fundamental way of being that radically redefines our relationships—first with ourselves, then with every other living soul, and ultimately, with the Divine Source of all creation.
From the Bible, Jesus Himself powerfully encapsulates the entire essence of the law, distilling it into two inseparable commands:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." — Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)
This foundational command establishes love as the very bedrock upon which all spiritual life is built. It encompasses not only an unwavering devotion and reverence for God but also extends to compassionate, selfless action towards all humanity. The profound implication here is that every other law, every teaching, every ethical guideline, and every prophetic utterance in the scriptures ultimately flows from, and is illuminated by, this singular principle of love. It is the lens through which all other wisdom is to be interpreted and applied.
Love as the Only Reality:
A Course in Miracles takes this concept of love's supremacy even further, asserting with unwavering conviction that love is not merely a commandment to be followed, but the only true reality. From this perspective, everything that appears to be antithetical to love—such as fear, pervasive guilt, aggressive attack, and the painful experience of separation—is fundamentally an illusion. These are but miscreations of the ego mind, lacking any genuine substance and permanance. The Course meticulously teaches that our true, immutable nature is pure love, having been created in the perfect likeness of God, Who is, by definition, Love itself.
ACIM articulates this truth with striking clarity:
"The Atonement is the only lesson you need learn. It is the lesson that love has no opposite, and is eternal." — T.14.II.4
This quote implies that fear, which we so often perceive as the formidable opposite of love, is in truth merely the absence of love, much like darkness is simply the absence of light. It possesses no independent reality or power of its own. When we consciously choose to embrace and extend love, fear, with all its accompanying anxieties and perceived threats, simply dissolves and vanishes. The Course therefore encourages us to actively look past the myriad illusions of separation that seem to define our world and instead, to perceive the inherent Christ-Self—the pure, unblemished love—that resides within every single individual, recognizing that this is our shared, eternal identity.
Forgiveness: The Pathway to Love
Both the Bible and A Course in Miracles profoundly emphasize forgiveness as the most practical and transformative application of love. In the biblical tradition, forgiveness is presented not only as a virtuous act but as a divine attribute that humanity is called to emulate, reflecting the very nature of God:
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." — Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
This verse highlights forgiveness as an act of immense grace, mirroring the boundless and unmerited forgiveness we ourselves receive from the Divine. It calls for a deliberate and conscious release of resentment, bitterness, and the desire for retribution, replacing them with a conscious choice to extend mercy and compassion, even when it feels challenging. It is an active letting go of the past's perceived wrongs.
ACIM, while aligning with the spirit of forgiveness, expands upon its definition in a unique and radical way. It defines forgiveness as seeing past the illusion of sin and recognizing the inherent innocence that lies beneath the surface of any perceived wrongdoing. From the Course's perspective, forgiveness is not about condoning or excusing harmful behavior; rather, it's about understanding that all forms of attack and judgment stem from fear and a mistaken identity, not from the true, loving Self.
"Forgiveness recognizes what you thought your brother did to you has not occurred. It does not pardon sins and make them real. It sees there was no sin. And in that view are all your sins forgiven." —ACIM W.ptII.1
This revolutionary concept of forgiveness in ACIM is the precise means by which we begin to undo the deeply ingrained belief in separation—the core illusion that we are distinct and isolated from God and each other. By truly seeing that there was no sin, only a call for love, we return to the profound awareness of our shared unity in love. When we genuinely forgive another, we are, in essence, forgiving ourselves, for the Course teaches that in reality, we are all inextricably one.
The Qualities of Love:
To truly understand and embody "Love above all else," it is essential to grasp its intrinsic qualities. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, provides one of the most eloquent and enduring descriptions of what love truly looks like in action. This passage serves as a powerful guide for how love manifests in our interactions and inner state:
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is 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." — 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)
This profound description moves beyond mere sentimentality, presenting love as a set of active virtues. It is a love that endures, that seeks the good of others, that is humble and selfless. It is a love that transcends fleeting emotions, remaining steadfast even in the face of provocation or difficulty. These qualities are not passive traits but active choices, demanding a constant turning away from egoic impulses and a dedication to the higher self. This biblical portrait of love beautifully complements ACIM's emphasis on love as the only reality, providing a practical framework for how that reality is expressed in our daily lives.
The Unity of All: Love's Ultimate Expression
The ultimate, most expansive expression of the principle "Love above all else" culminates in the profound recognition of our inherent interconnectedness. The Bible beautifully articulates this through the metaphor of the body of Christ, where each individual member, despite their unique functions, is vital and inextricably connected to the whole:
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." — 1 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV)
This powerful metaphor illustrates a profound spiritual truth: we are all integral parts of a single, greater whole. It implies that there is no true isolation; when one part of the body suffers, the entire body is affected, and similarly, when one rejoices, that joy reverberates throughout the whole. Our well-being is intrinsically linked to the well-being of others.
A Course in Miracles echoes and amplifies this theme of unity, positing that separation is the fundamental error, the root cause of all suffering and conflict. True healing, therefore, comes not from attempting to fix individual problems in isolation, but from recognizing and accepting our seamless oneness with God and with every other sentient being.
"There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not 'harder' or 'bigger' than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal." — ACIM T.1.I.1
This quote suggests that every single act of love, regardless of how seemingly small or insignificant it may appear, is a perfect and complete reflection of the infinite, boundless love that is our ultimate Source. It serves as a reminder that love, in its true essence, is indivisible, whole, and all-encompassing, incapable of being diminished or compartmentalized.
Living "Love Above All Else"
To truly live by the principle of "Love above all else" is to engage in a conscious, moment-by-moment choice: to consistently choose peace over conflict, understanding over hasty judgment, and profound connection over the illusion of separation. It is not a passive belief, but an active, daily practice of extending genuine forgiveness, of consciously looking past grievances to see the inherent Christ-Self—the loving essence—in every brother and sister, and of steadfastly remembering that our deepest, most authentic nature is nothing but pure love. The qualities described in 1 Corinthians 13—patience, kindness, humility, selflessness, and perseverance—become the very tools and expressions of this choice. They are the practical outworking of recognizing love as the only reality and practicing true forgiveness.
Whether approached through the clear, direct commands and parables of the Bible or through the psychological re-education and spiritual insights offered by A Course in Miracles, the overarching message remains brilliantly clear: Love is far more than just a commendable virtue or a noble ideal. It is the very fabric of reality, the underlying truth of existence. It stands as the ultimate answer to every perceived problem, every conflict, and every form of suffering. It is, unequivocally, the only path to ultimate, lasting joy, profound inner peace, and a true return to our divine inheritance. Therefore, with every breath and every decision, let us wholeheartedly choose love, above all else.
