"The apostle John, by the Spirit, wrote, 'God is Love,' and some have taken his words to be a definitive statement concerning the essential nature of God. This is a great error. John was by those words stating a fact, but he was not offering a definition...
"...We must escape the slavery of words and give loyal adherence to meanings instead. Words should express ideas, not originate them...
"... Yet if we would know God and for other's sake tell what we know, w must try to speak of His love. All Christians have tried, but none has ever done it very well. I can no more do justice to that awesome and wonder-filled theme than a child can grasp a star. Still, by reaching toward the star the child may call attention to it and even indicate the direction one must look to see it. So, as I stretch my heart toward the high, shining love of God, someone who has not before known about it may be encouraged to look up and have hope...
"... The love of God is one of the great realities of the universe, a pillar upon which the hope of the world rests. But it is a personal, intimate thing, too. God does not love populations, He loves people. He loves not masses, but men. He loves us all with a mighty love that has no beginning and can have no end...
"... True Christian joy is the heart's harmonious response to the Lord's song of love."
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