Super Superlatives

 

Superlatives should be seldom used. They lose their power when deployed frivolously. We are far too inflationary when we assign epic, awesome, amazing, incredible, or dropping-the-mic with careless frequency. How do we know if something is truly epic, awesome, amazing, incredible, or worthy of a mic drop?

This is a major curse of our age. Semantic inflation.

- everything is breaking-news

- honorary degrees are handed out like cheap candy

- businesses manufacture more five-star rewards to congratulate themselves

- in every sport more teams than ever make the playoffs.

Meaning, in all cases, is diminished.

Back to superlatives. The one word we should worry the most about adding extra-stuff to is Love. Love is the strongest of all words, the ultimate compliment. God is love. And, therefore, to

abuse or

overuse or

misuse

LOVE,

is to “take Love’s Name in vain” (Exodus 20).

 If we love, love, love pumpkin spiced lattes, Instagram posts, and Chicago Navy Pier, what word do we have for our children? When we ”love your presentation” and “love those shoes” and “love the eggplant parmigiana” what word do we use for God?

 Overuse of language, of course, is not the real problem, but underuse of actual love. I’m wondering, however, if a deeply needed restoration of love’s power ought to include disciplined caution and intentionality in its use.

 “I love you”, should, indeed, be the superlative. The absolute.  “For Love so God the world that He gave”…