Unconditional conditions.

Agency, free agency, moral agency.  It’s phrased many ways but what does it mean?  Freedom to make choices? Freedom to make choices as long as the choice is within certain parameters?  Freedom to choose, as long as you choose what is right?  Freedom to make bad choices? To make mistakes? Or is it the freedom to choose so long as you are willing to accept the consequences? 


And how does this agency correspond to unconditional love.  In particular, the love of God or those who purport to be trying to be like God/Jesus.  Unconditional.  An interesting ideal.  Is it possible to have unconditional love?  I doubt it, or rather, I haven’t seen it.  There are those in my life who love me and would continue to do so through almost any foreseeable situation however that little word ‘almost’ is paradoxical to the definition of ‘unconditional’.


We all have conditions.  Conditions that we place either consciously or unconsciously on those that we associate with.  As a parent I myself profess to having unconditional love for my children however I can imagine if I really try, that there would be circumstances that would affect that relationship.  I don’t anticipate that ever happening and the events that would need to take place to do that would definitely have to be extreme.  Lets take the story of Adam, Eve, Cane and Abel for example.  Cane killed Abel.  I’m sure in that situation that Adam or Eve’s love for Abel was diminished thus rendering their love for their son Cane as something other than unconditional.  Now I wasn’t there, I can’t really speak for them, but I think it would take something that extreme for that bond to weaken.  So is it unconditional? No it is not.


So what?  Why does this matter?  Why write about it? Can we expect to live up to the ideal as having unconditional love? Or as some would say Christlike love?  I don’t think we can, but we can try.  And that is the point isn’t it.  Whether you are religious or not, I would hope that you have the drive or goal to be a good person.  To love and to be loved.  I am the type of person that is optimistic.  I am one who always tries to see the good in people. Sometimes to a fault and sometimes it is taken advantage of.  But that’s who I am. 


There are certain phrases that I’ve heard used in the past that bug me.

I love you because …… (this is conditional on whatever comes after that word ‘because’ or ‘if’ or ‘when’)

I love you in spite of …..(this again is a type of condition. Not as strong as the first, but still is passing judgment and shows disapproval)

The statement that in my opinion should be conveyed is simply ‘I love you’.  Period…. Nothing after it.  You either do, or you don’t.  If there is a qualifier, then it isn’t unconditional love.

Does love have to be unconditional to be love? Nope.  It doesn’t.