A Sojourner's Passage

Chapter 1: Unconditional Love

We hear the word often—unconditional. It shows up in advertisements, sermons, love songs, and wedding vows. But what does it really mean?

At its core, unconditional means without conditions. No prerequisites. No strings attached. No “I will if you will.” It’s the kind of word that defies the transactional nature of most relationships we experience in life.

In my own journey, I’ve come to realize that very little in this world is truly unconditional. Almost every relationship carries expectations, spoken or not. Sometimes it’s as subtle as hoping for appreciation in return for a favor. Other times, it’s spelled out clearly—what one person expects in exchange for love, loyalty, or support.

The world often teaches us to ask, “What’s in it for me?” And if the answer is nothing, we tend to walk away. It’s a hard truth. But I’ve seen it, lived it, and at times, contributed to it.

To live unconditionally means to give without expecting anything back. It means we step out in faith, offering part of ourselves with no guarantee it will be received, respected, or returned. And that’s terrifying—because giving without condition makes us vulnerable. It opens us to rejection, disappointment, and pain.

Worse still, when we have been hurt—intentionally or not—it becomes even harder to offer something freely again. The trust has been fractured. The walls go up. And if our willingness to love depends on whether someone deserves it, then what we’re offering isn’t truly unconditional.

Real unconditional love costs something. It demands courage. It demands grace. It demands we release the idea of fairness in favor of something deeper: faithfulness.

Jesus modeled this kind of love. And in the chapters to come, we’ll explore how he lived it—how he gave it freely, without condition, to the hurting, the broken, the rejected, and even the undeserving. We’ll look at his actions not just as stories of long ago, but as living examples of what it means to love unconditionally in our own lives today.

But before we go there, let’s sit with this truth: Unconditional is not easy—but it’s what we’re called to. Not because others are perfect. But because love isn’t a transaction. It’s a choice.