Jul 23, 2009
In Episode 11, we begin several segments on spiritual
love. We start with the story of Larry & Beth. Larry &
Beth had their life planned out. They would get married and
start a family. Larry went along until he was involved in a
serious auto accident. After recovering from his injuries, he
discovered a hunger within himself. He had to answer two
basic questions: Why was his life spared in the auto
accident? Is life more than just what happens to him?
He broke up with Beth and spent several years trying to find
answers to his questions. Larry was never satisfied in his
relationships. He would meet a woman, become involved and try
to explain his spiritual quest. Inevitably, his current love
interest did not seem to understand, Larry would end it and begin
the cycle yet again. Larry woke up one day to a jolting
realization: he was forty, alone and he still had no answers to his
questions.
What was Larry seeking? Why was he
never satisfied in his romantic relationships? Larry was
making at least two common mistakes. First, he was confusing
spiritual love with romantic love. He expected his romantic
relationship to give spiritual meaning to his life, give him a
sense of purpose. But this is more than romantic love can
deliver. Spiritual love and romantic love, while they can
overlap, have distinctly different goals. Second, Larry was
expecting his romantic relationship to make him happy.
But once again, this is more than romantic love can deliver.
Happiness is something larger and more complex than romantic
love. When Larry goes into his romantic relationships
expecting more than they can deliver, that is almost a guarantee
for failure.
In Episode 12 we will look at my suggested
definition of spiritual love and see where Larry and Beth went
wrong.
This podcast series is based on my book The Six Faces
of Love which can be viewed at craigowen.net