Kya pyar China ka mal hai....

    I have always told myself the best thing about love is yet to be learned and no matter how hard I have tried I have said this definition cannot fit and tell about love. Whenever I heard a love song, saw a romantic movie I felt there is more to it. Whenever people share their thoughts about love I said is all that, is it really that. Someone said there are volumes and volumes about love. Few says love makes the world go round. Others told me love is bullshit. And yet say love is the only magic they believe in. I have always told you cannot put it in words, its more like a feeling. The more you try to understand it the less you solve it. It is and remains an unsolved mystery for me. So please bear with me because this post is going to be unusually long.

source: www.123rf.com

But all said and done, why I am writing about love today is not because I have derived to some conclusion or I know completely about love but I see the culture today is making multiple counterfeits of love and there is so much of confusion around us and in this declining culture do we have any absolute or everything absolutely everything is relative and revolving around you and your definitions. Everyone is shouting and howling “I am in love” and they call it that “I love you” are three magical words by which every teenager is fascinated. Every adult is either cursing it and others are saying they are in cloud 9 because of it. Few others are still finding what does it mean to love.

But I hope we must give a chance to everyone to define their own definition for love but I am afraid some people they learn from others and specially the younger generation. And as we have seen first the art imitates the life and then life imitates the art. All the lifestyle around us does influence us to shape our thoughts and belief system. Therefore as a thinker we must also give our opinion to strike a balance in this declining culture. So what is wrong with love? I mean by the current definition of it? and what is our contemporary arts displaying it. And I want to be safe and when I am criticizing I am not targeting someone but the idea.    

So songs nowadays like Badtameez dil, Besharam, Sudh desi romance and Party all night are setting our trend they are telling us that breaking rules is the new rule now where we leave no right and no wrong. But all this is actually our culture, other day I heard Honey singh telling in Interview its not my words but its the voice of today’s youth I am just bringing it in song. Is it really true. Where are we heading?

But main focus was not even this but what triggered me to write this was this song

Pyaar China Ka Maal Hai(Love is chinese product)

source:Google

Koi Guarantee Nahi(No Guarantee)

Koi Warranty Nahi(No warranty)

Koi Kachcha Bill Bhi Nahi(Not even a raw/duplicate bill)

Koi Guarantee Nahi

Koi Warranty Nahi

Koi Kachcha Bill Bhi Nahi…

Chale To Chaand Tak

Warna Yeh Shaam Tak(If it works it will go till moon otherwise till evening)

This made me laugh for a moment because we have made the word “pyar” so cheap sometimes but definitely the most used and abused. I see hatred towards “love” all around and I see on other hand people longing and dying for it. But we have made love a very cheap.

Rather than I bringing my thoughts on the subject which I am not even a student I will give you advice from a great thinker CS Lewis.In his book Four loves, Lewis treats of love under four categories ("the highest does not stand without the lowest"), based in part on the four Greek words for love: affection, friendship, eros, and charity. Lewis states that just as Lucifer—a former archangel—perverted himself by pride and fell into depravity, so too can love—commonly held to be the arch-emotion—become corrupt by presuming itself to be what it is not. Then he goes on explaining how we have mixed the emotions and played different roles and exploited. We almost use the word love for affection, friendship and Eros(romantic love) mostly and we have ignored Charity most of the time and I have hardly seen in my contemporary culture no one is even aware of it. Charity or Agape is the love that brings forth caring regardless of the circumstance. Lewis recognizes this as the greatest of loves, and sees it as a specifically Christian virtue. The chapter on the subject focuses on the need of subordinating the natural loves - as Lewis puts it, "The natural loves are not self-sufficient"- to the love of God, who is full of charitable love, to prevent what he termed their 'demonic' self-aggrandisement.

That’s Lewis reminding what we found in Scriptures all over again and again that God loves unconditionally. And He loved us from beginning and He alone truly loves and claim to love us. Infact Apostle John writes “God is love” look at the divinity of the word that apostle is describing God as love.So, what does it mean that God is love? Love is an attribute of God. Love is a core aspect of God’s character, His Person. God’s love is in no sense in conflict with His holiness, righteousness, justice, or even His wrath. All of God’s attributes are in perfect harmony. Everything God does is loving, just as everything He does is just and right. God is the perfect example of true love. Amazingly, God has given those who receive His Son Jesus as their personal Savior the ability to love as He does, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The most amazing part of this agape love is that we don't deserve it but God still in His grace loves us. And by the word unconditional love I mean to explain its purely a selfless love there is not even a hint of any self gain or any self righteousness. Its the purest emotion, I am afraid to call it emotion because its permanent unlike others. It is beyond human capacity to even think of such love. As Apostle Paul defines love in this way in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails.”

Source: Google

He describes love in both it is and it is not and I really love the final statement he says that Love never fails. I don't know if anything as permanent as Love. Look at this promise or this statement of God which says something like this:

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

   I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

Focus on the word love everlasting. And don't say “you know its just written that doesn't prove God loves us”. How have He demonstrated it to us? I was also reminded its not the first time someone is asking this questions. Its not at all a new question but just the questioners are new. So lets look from the history of Israel. We find the below words from the book of Malachi 1:2

“I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

Imagine Israel the covenant people of God asking this question. That Israel who was called out by God. Who saved them from the bondage from Egypt, same Israel for whom red sea was parted and then wilderness God tested their faith and many of them perished because of unbelief and the greatest Exodus took place and then they were given the promise land and God was their King. God dwelt among them. They saw the golden era under His reign. He raised king like David, man after His own heart.

In the book of Ezekiel 16 one of the most blunt passage shows God’s heart where He metaphorically refers Israel as a child then a beautiful young lady to whom He loved and gave His hand in marriage and made a covenant with. The lady was naked and ugly but He bathed her and dressed her with finest clothes and adorned with valuable jewels. Yet what she did, she forgot her past, she forgot every covenant and every oath that she took with her Husband. And she played a whore.He calls her worse than prostitute because they have excuse to say they get gifts for it but she is worse than that because you gave gifts to your lovers. There is no more words left by which I should describe the condition of Israel and we are just like Israel.

And even after all this look what God says  “Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 16:63

God never forsook His covenant and yet they asked Him, “How have you loved us?” and same is with rebellious people like us. We are worse than Israelites. Because in that time only his covenant people that is Israel had access to God. But now is the era of Holy Spirit where God gave us Holy Spirit which is dwelling in our hearts. We are in the era of AD Anno Domini in the years of living God. God actually dwelt among us. Immanuel is His name. And look what His contemporaries are saying:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:1-4    His love is not just in words but incarnate and we know Him by the name of Jesus.

May I suggest you that this is what agape looks like and look at the magnificent words of Apostle John in John 3:16

source: Google

“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Look what Jesus have to tell us about love “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.” John 15:13 and He did. He died for us and thus its not mere but God demonstrated His love through His son. I hope we dont go home and ask God "How can He say I have loved you?".
After understanding this Agape love now tell me is love a Chinese product or steadfast and everlasting love og God.

P.S.: You can read further about four lover here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Loves

Book Review: The Horse and his boy

Of course who have not seen the movie the Chronicles of Narnia and who amongst you don't remember Aslan, the Lion. Here I am to share what I think about one of the Narnian books I read recently called “ The Horse and his boy”(Chronicles of Narnia is a set of seven books).

Source: goodreads.com

But before I do that I must tell you few things clearly this is perhaps my fifth or sixth book which I have read and first story book. And I must tell you this that reading a story from a book is really more fun than watching it as a movie, there are many reasons for that one of them which I really think is the we interpret story line by line and thus not missing anything. When we read line to line we focus one by one and don't miss on any detailing of author want us to know. And what he is intending us to focus. Also our imagination can be far more better than the director who is interpreting the story. And we can be more imaginative and creative. Also we need to have patience to read line by line and enjoy every word, rather just watching the movie just for a short span. And when we read word after word and line after line the adventure and we can picture yourself in the boots of protagonist. And we don't lose the focus if we are careful to follow the author and use the imagination as we want. And the book keeps us glued until we finish and it is one of the kind experience to read a book and go in the miraculous world.

And special to me because one of my favorite author wrote this book C.S. Lewis. So do you want to know the author, Ah! I think we know him well but yet I have told you about him when I was reviewing the book Mere Christianity. But this two books are totally different, where the Mere Christianity will make you think and keep you engage intellectually and will tell you hard doctrines, the narnian books also keep you engaged but to wonder, thrill, hope and joy again and again.(And later discovered from a friend Aveek Das that its as intellectual as other books Lewis but it needs a different pair of lens to reach there)

Lewis have well thought about the stories and have kept the language far too common in order to make it easy for children to read it and understand well. But at the same time he have kept the central message as hard line, and thus making it a book which everyone without thinking of age should read. I don't want to tell you about the story but definitely I would tell you that it is one of the best stories I have ever read. I am sure you will connect with the story and see how uncertain lives are shaped and wove to a bigger and a beautiful story. Its a story where there is love, fight, war, ego, bravery, hope, faith, wonder, friendship, kings, queens, prince and princess and yes talking animals too.

It feels magical all over, the landscape, the river, the desert, when you read all that you feel the air touching you, some time the heat of the desert will touch and every moment you are thinking what will happen next. Like other stories this story also have great message and insight at many levels. I must say its a must read book.

Book Review: Mere Christianity

C S Lewis is not a cup of tea for many because he tends to take a deeper look to every issue and likes and makes you think deeper than you would have expected. Very classical thinker who was one of the best Philosopher I ever read. Thats why in many places you will see his quotes. Most of apologetics and apologists will quote him every now and then.

Source: Wikipedia

I really like the title of the book and author have done justice by narrating about the same in the best manner. Its amazing that the book is actually a collection of radio talks which were later collected and noted down. But I am glad Lewis took the pain to write it down and it become a most widely and most popular book amongst the intellectuals and Christians. If you like reasons and logics and want to make use of your brain, this book is for you. Author gives very common but very connecting illustrations of many things in order to explain the deeper philosophy which have been lifesaving for me, because without those examples it would have hard to retain what the author intend to say. But a lovely book explaining the philosophy around Christianity and christian claims.

The author will ask you to think, he will make your mind open, he will argue with your will and your choice, he will direct you towards the philosophy he believes in but not a blind push but he will give all possible arguments not just arguments he want to push on you but all the logical which will move towards building a solid evidence on what he believe and why he believes in it. Not only that he asks you to think on those logic and see whether those work or not. He not only gives theory but few things which are very practical. In many of his writings you will find his examples are such which will make Christian harder virtues explained with examples and brought to practice. He not only makes you think, but compels you to follow them. He is not arguing or criticizing something. He is not sugar coating any of his views or while explaining the doctrines but he gives all possible logic and reasoning for it and makes it practical for us.

The book I will never able to read completely because I will read it again and again because as I told you its highly intellectual but yet very practical. Which really gives you some solid food to chew in your mind and very important as its practical. I am very thankful for this book as it helped me to get a very good idea and it shone light on many Christian virtues too. I would definitely recommend you to read this book. If you are a christian its a must read and if you are not a christian still it remains a must read for you as well. Because he gives reasons and logics for both audience and I hope you will really like it.

If you want an ebook please visit : Mere Christianity Ebook