Love Grown Cold

Love for whomever or for whatever, even love for oneself can, in time, grow cold in man, can be lost altogether and can even be twisted into hatred. But the love of man for God, once gained and established, is more difficult to cool off, except if one loses his mind. In the first instance man diminishes or erases his love either out of change in himself or because of a change in the objects of his love. In the second instance man can diminish his love toward God only because of a change in him(self) and never because of a change in God. All of this is neatly and clearly explained by St. Isaac the Syrian saying, “There is a kind of love that is similar to a brook following a rainfall which quickly ceases after the rain stops. But there is a love similar to a spring which erupts through the earth, which never ceases. The first love is human love, and the second love is Divine Love.” St. Simeon the New Theologian, speaks about Divine Love, “O Holy Love! You are the end of the Law. You overcome me; You warm me; You inflame my heart to immeasurable love for God and my brothers. Out of love, God became man. Out of love, He endured all His life-giving suffering in order to deliver man from the throes of Hades and bring him to heaven. Out of love, the apostles completed their difficult course. Out of love, the martyrs shed their blood in order not to lose Christ.”

~ St. Nikolai Velimirovic, from the Prologue

Here is the explanation of the evil of heresy. Heresy, in depicting God falsely to man, causes a “change” in God, and thereby chances a cooling of our love for Him. Heresy is like craziness, losing our mind.

The greatness of the greatest commandment: to love God (Mark 12:30) is also explained, for we can fail to love others due either to a change in ourselves or a change in the object of our love. We have no “excuse” whatsoever for not loving God. We will do anything not to lose Him, once our love is gained and established. “Out of love, the martyrs shed their blood in order not to lose Christ.”