All You Need Is Love
But what kind of Love?
Christmas Day, 2025
“The truth is, ‘All you need is love’ was NOT Jesus’ central message. That belongs to another person whose first name begins with a ‘J’.” Frank Viola
“All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.” John Lennon
Love according to christian influencer Frank Viola.
“Jesus’ teaching about love was given (only) to those who already submitted to His absolute lordship and who became part of His kingdom. Love – the way Jesus defined it (which isn’t the same way the world understands it) is how the kingdom of God operates.”
“The concept that Jesus came to teach humans on Planet Earth to be nicer, kinder, and more loving toward each other sounds good to twenty-first century ears, but it makes Jesus out to be someone he was not. Love always requires losing your life, laying it down, denying self.”
“However, a person cannot love in the biblical sense unless they first forsake all (repent), entrust their lives to Jesus (faith), and receive His own divine life into their beings (the new birth). Why? Because the nature of divine life is love, and one cannot receive this kind of divine love outside of receiving Christ and having His Spirit indwell them. Sure, they (non-believers) can be nice, kind, pleasant, and even giving. But they are incapable of the divine love (agape) that the New Testament talks so much about.”
According to John Lennon
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say, but you can learn
How to play the game
It’s easy
Nothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothing you can do, but you can learn
How to feel in time.
It’s easy.
Nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where
You’re meant to be.
It’s easy.
All you need is love (all together now!)
All you need is love (everybody!)
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
According to The Jackson Five
Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?
People making lists, buying special gifts.
It’s time to be kind to one and all.
It’s that time of year when good friends are near.
And you wish you could give more than just presents from a store.
Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?
Even the man who has everything
Would be so happy if you would bring…
Give love on Christmas Day.
No greater gift is there than love.
People you don’t know, smile and nod hello.
Everywhere there’s an air of Christmas joy.
It’s that once a year when the world’s sincere.
And you’d like to find a way to show the things that words can’t say.
Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?
The man on the street and the couple upstairs
All need to know there’s someone who cares.
Give love on Christmas Day.
No greater gift is there than love.
What the world needs is love.
Yes, the world needs your love.
Why don’t you give love on Christmas Day?
Every little child on Santa’s knee
Has room for your love underneath his tree.
Give love on Christmas Day.
No greater gift is there than love.
What the world needs is love.
Yes, the world needs your love.
Why not give love on Christmas day?
Tom, Dick, and Harry, and Susie too
Need love everyday as much as you.
Give love on Christmas Day. No greater gift is there than love.
According to Burt Bacharach
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
No, not just for some but for everyone.
Lord, we don’t need another mountain.
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb.
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross.
Enough to last until the end of time.
Lord, we don’t need another meadow.
There are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow.
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine.
Oh, listen Lord, if You want to know.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
No, not just for some but for everyone.
According to James Taylor
You can play the game
You can act out the part
Though you know it wasn’t written for you.
Tell me, how do you stand there
With your broken heart
Ashamed to playin’ a fool?
One thing can be to another.
It doesn’t take any sacrifice.
Oh, Father and Mother
And sister and brother
If it feels nice
Don’t think twice.
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna be just fine
If we only will.
What I really mean say is…
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna be much better,
If we only will.
You can run but you cannot hide
This is widely known.
And what you plan to do with your foolish pride
When you’re all by yourself alone?
Once you tell somebody
The way that you feel
You can feel it beginning to ease.
I think it’s true what they say
About the squeaky wheel
Always getting the grease.
Better to
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna turn out right
If we only will, if we only will now…
Shower the people you love with love.
You gotta show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna be much better, if we only will…
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way you feel.
Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel.
According to Jackie DeShannon
Think of your fellow man
Lend him a helping hand
Put a little love in your heart
You see it’s getting late
Oh, please don’t hesitate
Put a little love in your heart
[Chorus]
And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see
Another day goes by
Still the children cry
Put a little love in your heart
If you want the world to know
We won’t let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart
[Chorus]
Take a good look around
And if you’re looking down
Put a little love in your heart
I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart
[Chorus]
People now
Put a little love in your heart
Each and every day
Put a little love in your heart
There’s no other way
Put a little love in your heart
It’s up to you
Put a little love in your heart
C’mon and
Put a little love in your heart
And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see
_________________________
It’s Christmas day, and you get to decide what kind of LOVE the world needs now, (actually you can do it any day). Does the world need Viola’s highly conditional kind of love that is reserved only for an elite group of christians? Or does the world need the kind of LOVE that is “not just for some, but for everyone”?
To borrow a verse from my former church going days (with a few changes),
“But if practicing unconditional love seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day what kind of love the world needs. But as for me and my household, we will choose a love that is nicer, kinder, and available to all.”
Viola is correct when he says that even us non-believers and apostates can be nice, kind, pleasant, and giving. But he is mistaken to teach that we are incapable of a selfless, unconditional, sacrificial, agape kind of love.
This kind of LOVE seeks the well-being of others without expecting anything in return. It teaches us to focus on kindness, patience, and service to others. This is the kind of love the world needs now. This is the kind of love that will make the world a better place, not just for christians, but for all of us. So why not choose to give love this Christmas?
Turns out, John Lennon was right, “All you need is love.”
From Where I Stand
Dec 25, 2025
Dale Crum