Unconditional love

A social being must interact, connect and dialogue with others. A self is nothing apart from the implied equality of interaction. A self is "by nature" social, by nature in need. "Sin" is the drive to autonomy and independence. We all, devoted to our self, are in a self-ward spiraling hell, redeemed only through interaction and connection with another. Conditional and unconditional love are means of interaction and connection. Conditional love, in the face of un-met need of interaction, in the face of the death of a social self, grasps to control, manipulate, resent or threaten their departure. Conditional love is an economic arrangement. Unconditional love at the threat of the un-met need for interaction, respecting the equalities of wills (even Christ did not resist), submits itself to its own nature, being both love and unconditional. In its submission to the death of the social self it is reborn, it proves itself eternal because it has summited to eternal nature. I think that the quality of eternity is something like whatever it is that allows us to be open to being formed by our interactions. Pride thinks it knows everything and can not see anything new and it is a spiraling death because it can not get out of its own mind. Eternal life is something like unconditional love: both are dependent on continual social interaction. Conditional and unconditional love both have to respond to the need of interaction. But in the first it takes the interaction and, assuring control, tries to stop up the need, so as to be independent or free of that need. Unconditional and eternal love, on the other hand, are so because the need itself is eternal. Thus unconditional love holds other in an open hand, giving space for free movement. It is living in the tension of the awareness of that need, yet knowing that if it were to cease by trying to be rid of it, so would its being. which is impossible.

It is very hard to feel the intensity of need and not try to stop it up. Especially when that need is denied. Death, daily crucifixion of a social self, is a troubling door. But with every death accepted comes the rebirth into eternal life.