Century of Love

Last Updated on Thursday, 15 February 2007 02:57 by Hüseyin Gülerce, Today's Zaman

Thursday, 15 February 2007 02:56

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. It was a day to remember mutual love between two people. It also has a commercial aspect; exchanging presents sparks a temporary boom in markets for a few days. Actually, love is the only treasure and wealth we are seeking in this century with great aspiration. It is the greatest value we require.

Love that is comprised of verbal declarations, injured with betrayals and lies, eventually turning into hatred, have almost become the most poisonous threat for marriages and friendships. Can the deception, used by the unreliable who in their love hunt swear on the stars and the sky to perpetrate their bad intentions, be called love?

There is this group of people who want to form a monopoly on love, claiming that no one can love the state and look out for public interests more than them, whereas national wealth and resources are looted and banks are flushed down before their eyes, for which the public will pay the price. They perpetrate the worst kind of discrimination; they share bribe money, they are filled with corruption and the circle of corruption around them could easily help rid them of such accusations. So, the plague of this century is not having faith in love. There so many people today who don't live by their words and don't represent what they claim they do The person who brings love into the limelight for people in our century through living and representing this sentiment is Fethullah Gülen. Another name for the Turkish schools that spread to all corners of the world through his foresight is 'the schools of love.' Yes; in these schools students learn to love all human beings and all creation for the sake of their Creator: nature, the environment, trees, flowers, and animals instead of learning how to hate and harbor hatred. The saplings of the 'century of love' are growing. When you read the book titled, "Love in the Essence of Man," whose preface was written by Professor Toktamış Ateş, that century on the horizon comes before your eyes. It's as if we hear the footsteps of the guardians of love. Thanks to Fethullah Gülen we remember that love is the quintessence of each and every being, the brightest light and the greatest power in the universe. If humanity is to use any power this century, that must be love. In fact, there is not a single door that cannot be opened without love. Furthermore, there is no enemy that cannot be defeated by love.
And on the other hand, are we not defending human values? So, how can we elevate ourselves to a level where we examine what it means to be human? It is only love that elevates each spirit it is inextricably intertwined with. What is the most sublime characteristic ascribed to human beings? It is the ability to live for others. Isn't helping others live, rather than living solely for one's self, an exemplary lifestyle, particularly at a time when altruistic behavior is considered a deficiency? Is it not a sublimity of the human spirit? The foundation of altruism is also love. Therefore, those who live for others are the greatest heroes. They are the heroes of love. Compassion, forgiveness, affection, remorse, tolerance and humility have become their characteristics. There is an often quoted proverb; "The soul departs from the body, but moral characters don't;" love does have the ability change seemingly unalterable moral characters. Love calls on humans to act like humans: to become a human both inwardly and outwardly. Love eliminates the egotistical desires such as arrogance, and rudeness. Those who don't love everyone, don't deserve to be loved by anyone. Those who don't forgive are not forgiven. Those who learn to love ward off all evil with their goodness. Only through love, you learn not to turn a blind eye to impolite behaviors. Only through love, one learns the path of tolerance. Those who are committed to turn this life into hell for us are devoid of love. All the tears we shed, all the pain we suffer from, and all our sorrows are because of them. However, an illuminated, brighter future will be formed by heroes of love. The 21st century will be a century of love that champions heroes of love, whose motto will be, "People: regardless of their race and creed." They will carry the world, where we can live as humans, to springs which will bear the fruits of love, allowing the gentle breeze of tolerance to pass through colorful flowers.