Love is a powerful force
Stories abound in fiction and nonfiction of the power of love. In the 2000 movie, “Return To Me,” a man loses his beloved wife, and her heart is transplanted into a desperately ill young woman named Grace. A year later, Grace meets the man, and another beautiful love story blooms. It’s as if the heart itself emits radio signals to draw the beloved back into its orbit.
And this may not be so far from the truth. According to new science, the heart is an intelligent system with its own sophisticated network of neurons transmitting more messages to the brain than vice versa. It is continually emitting electromagnetic fields that most likely have a powerful effect on those around us. Companies like HeartMath are developing science showing that a heart-centered approach to life relates to better health and happiness. Psychologists such as Leo Buscaglia made entire careers around the emotion of love. In Buscaglia’s book, “Love,” he said, “One does not fall ‘in’ or ‘out’ of love. One grows in love.” He declared, “Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life.”
Love is energy that never dies
When the human body dies, the love which was exhibited through that vessel still flows strongly through the hearts it had touched during its lifetime. After love is expressed, it doesn’t just evaporate like a distant cloud; the feeling lingers and often expands endlessly.
Love is a powerful force. Love attracts and connects. Love is the perpetual binding force that keeps humanity and all of creation going. Love fuels life and goes beyond the human world. It comes from the ether and cannot be destroyed. When we take away the ego, the material reality, and the accumulated pile of useless information, we are still left with the most powerful energy in existence — love. If indeed we emerge from God, or whatever creative force in the universe in which you believe, then perhaps the heart (i.e., love energy) is continually trying to get back to its origin.
The heart is constantly calling home. We just have to tune in. Take a moment to reflect on how you feel when you are loved and how you feel when you give love. Recreating that feeling in our minds and bodies is a beautiful meditation and a way to regain a sense of peace, joy, and hope.
A story that inspires the heart
St. George resident Dr. David Cernic certainly believes that love is a powerful force. He was a Hofstra University professor for 34 years and taught a popular course called “The Philosophy of Love.” His classes examined philosophy, metaphysics, and the nature of reality and were infused by such greats as Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Milton, Nietzsche, and Tolstoy, though he believes “everyone is a great source of beauty and wonder.” He credits the “great ones” when espousing his personal philosophy and exudes inspirational thoughts such as, “He who loves life, loves life even when he suffers.”
He is a testament to that quote. He is battling Parkinson’s but always has a smile on his face and a hug to offer. When he was first officially diagnosed in 2010, he told his wife, Lois, that he didn’t want her to have to take care of him unless he knew he was doing everything he could to be healthy — a heartwarming expression of true love. Lois says, “He is my Superman.” She is referring to a quote she heard where a “Superman” is defined by what’s on the inside of a person — qualities such as strength of character. Through his daily pain, he spends several hours exercising, lifting weights and doing push-ups. He is literally fighting the disease and trying to get it to say, “Uncle! I give up.”
Cernic defiantly states, “Whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” His determination is rooted in a lifelong positive perspective. “Happiness comes from my mind, which is filled by beautiful thoughts. I have a very strong will and still have the ability to choose. I can still love people. I’m not deprived. I have abundance.”
He considers his spiritual life “priceless” and says, “If you have a spiritual life, you will have happiness regardless of your circumstances.” Love is a powerful force, but David Cernic is a force to be reckoned with and a wisdom to be filled with.
Keep your heart free of malice
In her book, “Finding the Joy Within You,” Daya Mata of the Self-Realization Fellowship, who grew up in a prominent Mormon family in Salt Lake City, said, “Keep your heart free of malice, no matter how anyone treats you, no matter what others do. If you give love, you will have peace in your soul. … The real conquerors of hearts have been the truly great leaders of the ages. These in truth win mankind and change the destiny of the world.”
Love can give us superhuman strength. Love mends that which is broken. Love creates something out of nothing. Love is a powerful force. Perhaps it can heal the world.
