Dear, Dear September:
I love you post so much! That question haunts me and hounds me forever.
As for the Bible bit, to me it sort of describes different types of love, like "love your enemy" or "love you family" and "forgiveness is a manifestation of love as well"...
As for your own family issues, all I can say is ((((((September))))))
And that I believe a lot in family love, but I also enjoy the love of the family whose members I pick myself: friends. Close friends are the family that we choose and I praise that very much as one of love's shapes.
I take it one day at a time :-)
Cheers, baby.