JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

It is fair to observe that "Love" is the most misunderstood and basterdized word in the religious vocabulary. Be that as it may, "Love" still remains at the center of the Christian proclamation. The Evangelist John brings the centrality of love to its logical conclusion by insisting that “God is love” (4:8, 16), thereby making love the foundation of all reality. Unfortunately, fundamental principles tend to be difficult to grasp, perhaps because there is nothing more basic that one can use to define them. Hence, for the Christian, love must in some sense always remain both a mystery and a gift, especially since love is the supreme expression of God who himself is the supreme mystery and gift in our lives. The Status Questionis of this research is an attempt to examine the concept of Christian "love" from a particularly Johannine perspective. The concrete implications of the imperative to love are, therefore, identified with a view to proper and relevant orthopraxis. This is the gap the research intends to address or fill. The methodology employed include the study of the passage of John 13: 34-3, which is the Locus Classicus on the subject, from an exegetical, theological, Philosophical and sociological perspectives or points of view. Other relevant texts will also be examined. This will bring out the implications or the concrete imperatives the injunction to love imposes on the believer and this, effectively will serve as the results of the study. It is hope, when all is said and done, the believer will begin to see this characteristically Johannine injunction in a new light and will be challenged to begin to live them out in new way. This would be the singular, albeit non-exhaustive contribution of the study. The research begins by establishing how love is an attitude which manifests itself in concrete ways. It also makes a comparison of the two important models of Christian love and their strengths and weaknesses. From the Christian perspective what is “real” is the eschatological and our freedom to choose. Therefore, Christian love must begin with self-sacrifice. At the risk of making an artificial synthesis, the Johannine position is summarized by affirming that the foundation of Christianity is love, and that love is only real if it manifests itself in sacrificial acts. Consequently, love grounds the importance of the incarnation and of Christian ethics (e.g., 1 Jn. 3:16). Furthermore, the research explores how Christian love always looks forward in hope to union with the beloved, a union that will be an unspeakable blessing to all believers. As love looks forward, however, it respects the freedom of the other to accept or reject love and the growth which this love would empower. Consequently, as we look forward, we can see evil people as "beautiful," but yet be realistic. An important implication of what we have reviewed so far, which is also the concluding reflection of this research, is that the doctrine of the incarnation and a life of practical ethics reinforce each other and are not mutually exclusive. This has proven and continues to remain a challenge to the Church in Nigeria and beyond. As a practical demonstration of the thesis of this research, concrete circumstances within the Nigerian socio-political, religious and cultural scenario are indicated where the Johannine injunction to Love can be actualized.