Law vs. Love

One of the things I learn about God the more I study the universe, the great theological writings, the lives of good people I meet in my life, and the scriptures - the more I learn that there is not really a difference between God's law and God's love.

A good example - take any of those wonderful nebula pictures we see from the Hubble telescope. God designed that - he designed it in part via the laws of physics, which causes hydrogen plasma to coalesce into luminescent clouds that become stars. When a nebula forms, it does so in perfect conformity to the natural laws God established in the universe. But a nebula also isn't just a thing of law, is it?

No, it is also a thing of great beauty - far exceeding the creative reach of the greatest human artist.

The lives of good, humble, and Godly people are also a similar reflection of the unitive nature of God's law and love.

In my Christian faith, I see this unity, in fact, in Jesus himself. His role literally is obedience - "not as I will, but as you will." It is the love of the Son for the Father that is the reason for this obedience, but it is the guidance of God that Jesus is obedient too - God's perfect plan for his creation.

But this is not exclusively a Christian outlook. In Judaism, Rabbi Hillel also made clear that the law was love, for he said the greatest law was "Love your neighbor as yourself, and that which is hateful unto You do not unto others, all else is commentary."

Even in the very beginning, God's commands and his affections are one, for Genesis tells us, And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.

This is how law and love are unitive - they are both interested in the dignity of love's subjects. Love does not "enumerate the evil... but rejoices in the truth," in the words of St. Paul. Law and love are two sides of the same coin. It is a great mystery how, but in the end we will know in full.