VIEWPOINT MAGAZINE Volume 2.3 March 2014 | Page 17
Mind and Spirit
Unrequited Love
By Kezia Surjadi
L
ove in its truest form is an act of
pure sacrifice unlike Hollywood’s
depiction of love, which is a wild
expression of emotions generally
known as infatuation. However, this
“Hollywood” love is often the most
pleasing because it reveals itself
through exaggerated acts that is
appealing to our human nature. True
love, on the other hand, acts through
humility that mostly receives no
response. This kind of pure love that
lacks response is what I like to define
as unrequited love: love that is only
expressed one way.
This one-way love is stereotyped to only exist
in romantic situations, but day by day,
people ignore a love so great and patient that it
becomes easy to take it for granted, or worse, to
believe it does not exist at all. I’m talking about
God’s love. John 3:16 tells us that out of
amazing love, God gave His only Son to die a
cruel and painful death so that all mankind
could be redeemed. What is so special about
mankind that such priceless sacrifice must be
made to redeem them? Men are far from
righteous. In fact, men shamelessly revel in their
sins without any guilt or remorse - yet such love
is shown to them. Now after Jesus’
crucifixion and resurrection, does humankind
fall on its knees and cry out in repentance?
Instead, they reject God’s grace. Some even
claim that God does not even exist. For so
much love that was given, it is so little in return.
From our perspective, it is such a waste that
God should extravagantly pour His love into an
unfeeling world. In God’s eyes, however, His
outpouring of love is not a waste, but a perfect
plan at the right time to th