If This Were 2005, I'd Say "Cue the sad emo kids."

Today I saw a marquee on a building that read "There is no fear in love."
While that's nice, and probably on some level true--I mean, you shouldn't live in fear of those you love-- I don't think I can entirely buy into it. There's all sorts of fear in love:

Think of the greatest love possible; the love of a parent for a child. Don't try and tell me there's no fear when it comes to parenting. Every fall, bang-up, bruise, fever, and sniffle is case for worry, and it only gets worse the older they get. Pretty soon you have to start worrying about car wrecks, peer pressure, and college parties.You can have the best kid in the world, but you'll always fear the outside influences that you have no control over.

Then, there's the other kind of love. I find that in romantic love, I can't look at my partner without a slight sense of fear for the future. I fear for the day we break up and the circumstances. I fear for the day that I might see him with another girl (and the sense of bewilderment I'll feel when I learn he's really in love with her). I'm afraid of that one girl out there who will love him without any of my fear or apprehension.

However, I think that for the most part, I feel that maternal sense of fear for all people close to me, whom I love dearly-- I'm afraid for their well-being and happiness, and I want to show my love by being the one who can make things "all better" with a flick of the wrist and my invisible magic wand.


Upon further investigation into the topic (but mostly just looking for some snarky pictures hat directly contradicts the notion that one may love without fear to insert into one of the page breaks in the post), I discovered:


 "There is no fear in love. But, perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18)

I can't help but think that anyone who is in love vows that their love is indeed perfect. In retrospect, we might acknowledge the imperfections that blot our lives and our loves, but no man lives without mistakes, flaws, weaknesses, or deficiencies...so how is man ever expected to love without fear?

I don't believe he is. I believe we are expected to love in spite of all of the fears that come with being human.
The definition of perfect love is recognizing the natural shortcomings of love and the one you love, fearing the future and the unknown, lamenting the inevitable truth that some loves may not last--no matter how seemingly perfect they are--and still allowing yourself to open up your heart.