The Book of Universal Love

Author Bio

D. E. McElroy is the founder and administrator of World Christianship Ministries and a long‑time researcher of Near‑Death Experiences (NDEs). Across four decades of ministry, he has ordained ministers from many walks of life and officiated thousands of weddings, including unique ceremonies throughout California and Yosemite National Park. His work centers on accessible spiritual exploration, compassion, and sharing free resources so seekers can find practical wisdom and living hope.

Copyright & Use

© {year} D. E. McElroy · World Christianship Ministries. All rights reserved. You may share brief excerpts with attribution and a link to World Christianship Ministries for non‑commercial purposes.

Index

Chapter 1: The Thread That Connects All Beings

From the beginning of time, humanity has sensed a force that unites all life. Across cultures, across ages, and across the barriers of language, there is a recurring recognition: everything is connected. This connection is not just physical, nor only spiritual—it is love, expressed as the hidden thread binding all existence together.

This thread is not seen by the eyes, but felt by the heart. It flows between a mother and child, between friends and strangers, even between human and animal. It is why we can feel the suffering of someone we have never met, or the joy of a community we are not part of. The web of life vibrates with these exchanges, reminding us that every being belongs to the same vast family.

Mystics and poets have often described this thread as light, others as music, and still others as breath. However it is named, it always conveys unity. To feel it is to know that separation is an illusion, and that our destinies are interwoven.

Living with awareness of this thread changes the way we see the world. We begin to honor the sacredness in every face, every creature, and every element of nature. Acts of kindness no longer seem small, for they echo through the whole fabric of existence. In the end, to awaken to the thread is to awaken to love itself—the foundation of the universe.

Chapter 2: Love in Ancient Teachings

Long before modern religions and philosophies, ancient peoples sought to understand the essence of existence. At the heart of their wisdom, scattered across continents and centuries, we often find the same truth: love is the foundation of life, the law of harmony, and the path of fulfillment.

In ancient Egypt, the principle of Ma’at spoke of balance, truth, and right relationship. Though not called “love” in the way we use the word today, it was love in practice: honoring the cosmic order by treating others with fairness and compassion. To live in alignment with Ma’at was to live in resonance with the divine.

In India’s Vedic traditions, love appeared as bhakti—devotion to the Divine, expressed through humility, service, and heartfelt surrender. Later, in the Bhagavad Gita, love was lifted up as a spiritual path in itself, showing that one could reach the highest truths not just through knowledge or discipline, but through love.

Among the ancient Hebrews, love was the essence of the covenant. “Love your neighbor as yourself” was not only a moral teaching but a recognition that love is the very bond between humanity and the Creator. The Psalms echo this theme again and again, celebrating divine mercy as steadfast love that endures forever.

The Greek philosophers gave language to the many dimensions of love—eros (romantic love), philia (friendship), storge (familial affection), and agape (selfless, universal love). For Plato, love was a ladder leading from earthly desire to divine beauty, pulling the soul toward its highest purpose.

In China, the teachings of Confucius emphasized ren, often translated as “humaneness” or “benevolence.” This was love expressed as respect, kindness, and duty, forming the basis of harmonious society. Taoism, meanwhile, spoke of returning to the natural flow of life, where compassion was the mark of wisdom.

Among Indigenous traditions of the Americas, love was expressed as kinship with all creation. The Lakota phrase Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ—“all my relations”—embodied the understanding that love stretches beyond humanity to embrace animals, plants, the land, and the stars.

What unites these voices is their recognition that love is not an ornament to life—it is the heart of life itself. Ancient teachings remind us that love is universal, timeless, and woven into the very fabric of human consciousness. In honoring these traditions, we see that the thread of love has always been guiding humanity, waiting for us to live fully in its light.

Chapter 3: Love as the Core of Mystical Experience

Throughout history, mystics of every tradition have spoken of an overwhelming encounter with love at the center of their deepest experiences. When the boundaries of self dissolve and the soul touches the Infinite, what remains is not fear, not emptiness, but a fullness so complete it can only be described as love.

In the mystical traditions of Christianity, saints and visionaries wrote of being overcome by a divine embrace. St. Teresa of Ávila described her soul as pierced by an arrow of fire, leaving her consumed with love for God. St. John of the Cross spoke of the “living flame of love” that burned away all separation until only union with the Divine remained. For them, love was not just a feeling but the very presence of God.

In Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, love is the beating heart of the path. Poets like Rumi and Hafiz poured out verses describing the soul’s longing for union with the Beloved. To them, love was the bridge between human and Divine, carrying the seeker beyond intellect into ecstatic union. “Love is the sea where the intellect drowns,” Rumi wrote, pointing to the mystery that love reveals.

In Jewish mysticism, the Kabbalists taught that the world itself was born of love—the divine yearning to share existence. They described the flow of divine energy (sefirot) as streams of compassion sustaining creation. The soul’s journey was to return to this Source through acts of love and devotion.

Buddhist mystics spoke of metta, or loving-kindness, as the radiance of an awakened heart. In the stillness of meditation, practitioners often report a boundless love that flows outward without discrimination, embracing all beings equally. This universal compassion is seen not as sentiment but as enlightenment itself.

In Hindu mysticism, saints and sages taught that love—prema—is the highest form of union with the Divine. Mirabai, the bhakti poet-saint, sang of her love for Krishna as both a burning passion and a liberating force. For her, love dissolved the boundaries between the human soul and the eternal Spirit.

Across these paths, the message is strikingly consistent: the closer one draws to ultimate reality, the more love is revealed as its essence. Mystical experiences are often ineffable—words cannot contain them—but when mystics return from the silence of union, they speak of love as the ground of being.

For the mystic, love is not an attribute of God—it is God. It is not one virtue among many, but the source from which all virtues flow. To step into mystical love is to see the universe itself as an expression of compassion, beauty, and tenderness. It is to realize that at the deepest level of existence, there is no separation between the soul and the Beloved—only love, shining through all.

Chapter 4: Love in Near-Death Experiences

In recent decades, thousands of people from every culture and background have reported experiences at the threshold of death. These Near‑Death Experiences (NDEs), though deeply personal, often carry strikingly similar themes. Among them, one truth shines above all others: beyond this life, love is the essence of reality.

Many who return from an NDE describe being enveloped in a radiant light that is not merely brightness, but a living presence. They often say, “It was pure love.” This love is unconditional, beyond judgment, and deeper than any love they had known on earth. It is not earned, measured, or withheld—it simply is.

Some experiencers recount a life review, where they see their lives replayed in detail. Yet this review is not about condemnation. Instead, it is bathed in love and understanding. They feel how their actions impacted others, both in kindness and in harm, but always through the lens of compassion. Many return saying they learned that love is the only measure of a life well lived.

Others speak of encounters with loved ones or spirit beings, who communicate not in words but through waves of love and telepathic understanding. This suggests that in the realms beyond, love itself is the language of the soul. Communication flows instantly, without barriers, carried on currents of affection and care.

A recurring theme is the sense of unity with all beings. People often say they felt connected not just to family or friends, but to the entire universe—animals, plants, stars, even the Earth itself. In that expanded awareness, love is experienced as the thread weaving every being into a single whole.

These testimonies transcend religious boundaries. Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, agnostics, and even atheists report similar encounters with a love beyond comprehension. The language may differ, but the message is remarkably consistent: the universe is made of love, and our purpose is to learn, embody, and share it.

Perhaps most importantly, those who return from NDEs are often transformed. They describe becoming less fearful, less materialistic, and more compassionate. Many say their mission is now simple: to love more deeply, more freely, and more universally.

NDEs remind us that love is not just a fleeting emotion but the very structure of existence. If death itself reveals love as the ultimate reality, then our task while alive is clear: to live in that truth now, so that we do not wait until the threshold of eternity to discover who we really are.

Chapter 5: The Faces of Love

Love wears many faces, each reflecting the same universal essence in different forms. Just as sunlight refracts into countless colors through a prism, love radiates through diverse expressions—each vital, each beautiful.

Romantic Love (Eros)
This is the love that draws two souls together in passion and intimacy. At its best, it is not only desire but also devotion, helping partners to see the divine spark in one another. Romantic love teaches us about vulnerability, trust, and the blending of two lives into a shared journey.

Familial Love (Storge)
The bond between parent and child, between siblings, and between generations is one of love’s strongest faces. It is nurturing, protective, and enduring, often surviving hardship and misunderstanding. Familial love reveals the deep instinct to care for one another, to ensure life continues and thrives.

Friendship (Philia)
Friendship is love born from mutual respect, shared joy, and trust. It creates chosen families beyond blood, reminding us that companionship and loyalty are sacred. In the ancient world, philosophers often saw friendship as one of life’s highest goods—a mirror of love’s reliability and warmth.

Selfless Love (Agape)
This is the universal, unconditional love that gives without expectation. It is the love of compassion for a stranger, the forgiveness offered to an enemy, the generosity that flows without thought of return. Agape is love in its purest form—love that embraces all beings simply because they exist.

Self‑Love
Too often overlooked, this is the recognition of our own worth. Self‑love is not arrogance but acceptance: honoring our own soul as part of the great tapestry of existence. Without it, we cannot fully give or receive love, for we cannot pour from an empty vessel.

Love for Nature and Creation
This face of love awakens in us when we stand before a mountain, a river, or a star‑filled sky. It is the reverence for the Earth, for animals, for the web of life itself. Such love leads to stewardship and care, reminding us that to harm nature is to wound our extended self.

Spiritual or Divine Love
At its highest, love transcends human relationships and becomes communion with the Source of all being. This love is felt in moments of awe, worship, or mystical union. It is both deeply personal and universally shared—the soul’s recognition of its home in the Divine.

Together, these faces form a complete portrait of love. None is lesser; all are facets of the same jewel. When we embrace each face, we see love not as a single narrow experience but as the very foundation of existence—expressed in countless ways, yet always leading us back to the same truth: love is one.

Chapter 6: Barriers to Love

If love is the thread that connects all beings, why then is it so often hidden, wounded, or blocked? The truth is that while love is our deepest nature, many barriers arise from within us and around us that keep us from experiencing it fully. Recognizing these barriers is the first step to dissolving them.

Fear
Fear is perhaps the greatest obstacle. Fear of rejection, fear of loss, fear of vulnerability—these cause us to close our hearts and build walls of protection. Yet in protecting ourselves, we also prevent love from entering. Love requires courage, and fear is its shadow.

Ego and Pride
The ego craves recognition, superiority, and control. Pride can make us unwilling to forgive, too proud to ask for help, or too focused on self‑interest to care for others. When ego rules, love becomes distorted—conditional and self‑serving—rather than free and expansive.

Wounds and Past Hurts
Painful experiences leave scars. Betrayals, abandonment, or trauma can cause us to mistrust love itself. We may avoid intimacy, fearing to be hurt again. Yet healing is possible, and love is often the medicine—but first, we must acknowledge the wounds and allow them to mend.

Prejudice and Division
Cultural, racial, religious, and ideological divisions create barriers to recognizing our shared humanity. When we reduce others to “us” and “them,” love is replaced by suspicion or even hatred. Prejudice blinds us to the thread of love connecting every soul.

Materialism and Distraction
Modern life often draws us into endless striving—accumulating possessions, achievements, or status. In the rush, we forget the simplicity of love. Distraction numbs us to presence, keeping us too busy to notice the opportunities to love right in front of us.

Attachment and Possessiveness
Sometimes love is hindered not by lack but by distortion. When love becomes control, when it clings instead of frees, it ceases to reflect the universal nature of love. Possessiveness strangles what it seeks to protect, turning love into fear of loss.

Self‑Doubt and Lack of Self‑Worth
Perhaps the quietest barrier is the belief that we are unworthy of love. Many carry the hidden wound of thinking they are not enough, and this blocks them from receiving love even when it is offered. To open the heart, we must also learn to accept ourselves.

Despite these barriers, love is never extinguished. Like sunlight hidden by clouds, it waits patiently to shine through when the obstacles clear. Each barrier is an invitation—not a condemnation—to return to love. By facing fear with courage, pride with humility, wounds with forgiveness, and prejudice with understanding, we find that love was always waiting on the other side.

Chapter 7: The Healing Power of Love

Love is more than emotion; it is medicine. It touches the deepest wounds of the soul, softens hardened hearts, and even renews the body. When love is present, healing begins—not always by removing pain, but by transforming it into growth, meaning, and resilience.

Emotional Healing
Love has the power to mend the fractures of the heart. A kind word, a listening ear, or the simple presence of someone who cares can ease grief and lift despair. Love does not erase sorrow, but it makes sorrow bearable, reminding us that no one must carry their burdens alone.

Physical Healing
People who feel loved and supported often recover more quickly from illness, experience less stress, and live longer. The warmth of love strengthens the body’s resilience. Ancient traditions intuited this long before modern studies began to confirm it: love and health walk hand in hand.

Healing of Relationships
Love restores what division has broken. Forgiveness, when rooted in genuine compassion, allows estranged hearts to reconnect. Even where reconciliation is not possible, love can bring inner peace by releasing bitterness. It teaches us that to heal is not to erase the past but to transform its meaning.

Healing of Communities
Where love is practiced collectively—through compassion, justice, and kindness—broken societies begin to mend. Love inspires service, uplifts the marginalized, and bridges divides. Communities built on love become places where wounds of violence, prejudice, and neglect can finally begin to heal.

Spiritual Healing
Perhaps the deepest healing is the rediscovery of our connection with the Source of Love itself. When we turn inward and upward, we find that love was never absent—it was waiting in the silence. Spiritual healing is the recognition that we are already whole, already embraced, already loved beyond measure.

Love does not always cure, but it always heals. Even in the face of terminal illness or loss, love provides strength, dignity, and peace. It transforms suffering into wisdom and endings into beginnings.

To give love is to offer healing. To receive love is to allow healing. And to embody love is to become, in a very real sense, a healer of the world.

Chapter 8: Love as the Universal Law

Everywhere we turn, from the smallest atom to the greatest galaxy, life is held together by patterns of balance, harmony, and connection. Mystics and sages across ages have recognized a single truth beneath these patterns: love is not merely a virtue—it is the law by which the universe itself operates.

The Law of Attraction and Harmony
Planets orbit stars, oceans ebb and flow, seasons turn—all in a rhythm of balance. In the human heart, love is this same principle expressed through compassion and unity. When we align with love, we live in harmony with the universal order; when we resist it, we create discord and disconnection.

Spiritual Traditions and the Law of Love
In Christianity, Jesus summarized the entire law in two commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. In Buddhism, compassion (karuṇā) is the guiding principle that sustains awakening. In Hinduism, dharma finds its highest expression through selfless love (prema). In Islam, God is called al‑Wadud, “the Loving One,” reminding the faithful that divine love is the ultimate law.

Love as Cause and Effect
Every act of love sets in motion ripples that extend far beyond what we can see. Kindness begets kindness, compassion spreads healing, and forgiveness unlocks freedom. Likewise, every act against love generates pain, division, and imbalance. In this sense, love is both the law and its consequence—the seed and its fruit.

The Universality of Love
Unlike human laws, which vary from culture to culture, the law of love is written into the heart of every being. A child’s smile, an animal’s affection, the comfort of a stranger—these are universal expressions that transcend language and creed.

Living in Accord with the Law
To recognize love as the universal law is to live as though every choice matters—because it does. Each word spoken in kindness, each act of service, each moment of forgiveness affirms alignment with the fabric of existence. To live against love is to tear at that fabric; to live with love is to weave it stronger.

Ultimately, love as law is not about obligation but about truth. Gravity does not ask our permission to work; it simply is. In the same way, love holds creation together whether or not we acknowledge it. Our choice is whether to resist or to flow with it.

When we surrender to love as the universal law, life itself begins to transform. Struggle becomes cooperation, isolation becomes belonging, and fear becomes trust. We discover that in obeying love, we are not bound—we are set free.

Chapter 9: Closing Reflection — Becoming Vessels of Love

As we reach the end of this journey, the message resounds with clarity: love is not only an idea to ponder but a reality to embody. It is the thread that connects all beings, the wisdom of the ancients, the fire of the mystics, the light of near‑death experiences, the many faces we encounter, the healer of wounds, and the law that governs all existence.

But these truths remain incomplete until they live within us. To know about love is not the same as to become love. The invitation is not merely to admire love from a distance but to allow it to flow through us—transforming how we see, how we speak, how we act, and how we live.

Becoming a Vessel
To be a vessel of love means opening ourselves wide enough for love to pour in and flow out. It is not about perfection but about willingness. We do not generate this love on our own; we allow it to pass through us, as rivers carry water from the source to the sea.

Everyday Expressions
This calling does not always demand grand gestures. Often, it is lived in small acts: a gentle word to a stranger, patience with a child, forgiveness for an old hurt, reverence for the Earth beneath our feet. Each act, no matter how ordinary, becomes extraordinary when offered in love.

Transcending Boundaries
As vessels of love, we learn to see beyond divisions of race, religion, culture, or belief. We recognize in every face the same divine spark, the same thread woven through all of life. In this awareness, compassion becomes natural, generosity becomes joyful, and peace becomes possible.

A Ripple into Eternity
To embody love is to participate in eternity. Our lives may be brief, but the love we release into the world never dies—it ripples outward, touching countless others, weaving into the great fabric of being. In this way, our love outlives us, echoing into the infinite.

In the end, the question is not how much we have gained, but how much we have loved. This is the measure of a life well lived, the path to healing, the law of the universe, and the destiny of every soul.

Let us, then, step into this truth with courage and humility. Let us become vessels of love—channels through which the eternal current of compassion and unity can flow. In doing so, we fulfill the deepest calling of existence, and we become what we always were: love made visible.