Chesed

"The Hebrew word "Chesed," narrowly described as "love," is a large word.  No single word in our language is adequate to translate it, so we revert to the use of adjectives to bring out the distinctive quality and broad reach of this love: steadfast love, loyal love, covenant love.  What we're after is an understanding that retains the affection and desire and intimacy that commonly go with love, as we sometimes experience it as parents and children, "lovers" and friends, but now amalgamated with the stability, dependability, unswerving commitment and steady reliability that we so commonly find wanting in ourselves and others.  "Chesed" is often used in the biblical revelation to designate God's love.  But, we, as humans, who have been created in the image of God, are also capable of loving this way, even though we never seem to get very good at it.  "Chesed" is love without regard to shifting circumstances, hormones, emotional states, and personal convenience.  This is the kind of love with which 'God so loved the world...'" - Eugene Peterson in Leap Over a Wall