Their love was forbidden. Their marriage was a secret. They lived most of their days apart and in solitude. But nothing could thwart their devotion to each other. It was medieval France and priests were not allowed to marry. His name was Peter of Abelard and her name was Heloise. The story of their romance is told in the novel The Cloister by James Carroll.
But the love story spilled out beyond the confines of the cloister. In real life, Peter of Abelard pushed the church to expand its philosophy on who God loves. He taught that God loved those from other religious traditions. Many sought to silence him. But Heloise, plotted to keep his writings from being destroyed.
The novel reminded me that God’s gift of love cannot be contained. The love that we celebrate on Valentine’s Day is not simply a sweet romance or affection between family or friends but the same gift that God gives to all creation and all people on the planet. The Bible reminds us that no one has seen God but that if we love, God abides in us. (I John 4). And the modern author C.S. Lewis says, if you want to keep your heart intact, you must give your love to no one, not even to an animal.
We used to talk about three kinds of love: eros, phila and agape; that is romance, friendship and God’s unconditional love. But really there is only one love. The love that comes from God that we offer to one another.
The true test of our faithfulness is not what we believe but how we love.
Grace and peace,
Carla
