On
hearing this they could make no reply, for the reason that although
they had heard in the life of the body something like this they had
not believed it, wondering how there could be such love in heaven,
and how it could be possible for any one to love his neighbor more
than himself. But they were told that every good increases
immeasurably in the other life, and that while they cannot go further
in the life of the body than to love the neighbor as themselves,
because they are immersed in what concerns the body, yet when this is
set aside their love becomes more pure, and finally becomes angelic,
which is to love the neighbor more than themselves. For in the
heavens there is joy in doing good to another, but no joy in doing
good to self unless with a view to its becoming another's, and thus
for another's sake. This is loving the neighbor more than oneself.
They were told that the possibility of such a love is shown in the
world in the marriage love of some who have suffered death to protect
a consort from injury, in the love of parents for their children, as
in a mother's preferring to go hungry rather than see her child go
hungry; in sincere friendship, in which one friend will expose
himself to danger for another; and even in polite and pretended
friendship that wishes to emulate sincere friendship, in offering the
better things to those to whom it professes to wish well, and bearing
such good will on the lips though not in the heart; finally, in the
nature of love, which is such that its joy is to serve others, not
for its own sake but for theirs.
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