Love Is

Song Meaning

Barry McGuire's "Love Is" isn't just a song; it’s a sermon set to music, a straightforward articulation of faith-based principles. The core message revolves around the Great Commandment, a bedrock of Christian theology: to love God with every fiber of one's being and to extend that love to one's neighbor as oneself. It’s a call to action, urging listeners to embody love not just as a feeling, but as a conscious choice. The song meaning feels rooted in the late 60s Jesus movement, a time when traditional religious tenets were being re-examined and often re-packaged in more accessible, contemporary forms. McGuire's delivery, earnest and sincere, reinforces this sense of genuine conviction. But the song delves deeper than mere recitation. The lyrics paint a portrait of love as an active force. "Love is gentle, love is kind / And love is giving and it's not blind." It's not a passive emotion but a conscious engagement with the world, marked by generosity and discernment. This isn't about naive acceptance, but about actively "choosing for the right, rejecting the wrong." The song subtly critiques the notion of love as a purely sentimental experience, instead positioning it as a moral compass. The line about laying down one's life for a friend directly references Christ's sacrifice, imbuing the concept of love with a sense of ultimate selflessness. Ultimately, “Love Is” presents a vision of love as both a personal and a communal endeavor. It’s about individual devotion – loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength – but it’s also about the outward expression of that devotion through acts of kindness, compassion, and justice towards others. It's a reminder that faith, at its best, is not just a matter of private belief, but a force for positive change in the world. The final verse, emphasizing that "love is quiet, love is strong / And love is patient suffering long," suggests that true love is resilient and enduring, capable of withstanding hardship and adversity. The question "Now can you hear?" acts as a direct challenge to the listener, urging them to not just listen to the words, but to truly internalize and embody the message of love.