Love seems to require a response. Jesus inquired of Peter: Do you love me? OK, then I have a task for you. Feed my lambs. In 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, there is much said about actions and feelings. And a warnings of not missing the one thing - charity. 

My own dad seldom told me he loved me. But he was very affectionate and a great provider, father, and husband. I think many men in the WW2 era felt that if they had to tell you they loved you - they had somehow failed.

I remember him and others saying: "It's not how high you jump but how you live when you hit the ground." He had seen Europe flattened and, I think, became emotionally detached sometimes by that horrific experience. 

I also remember Jesus telling others: "if you love me... keep my commandments. Of which the greatest, coincidently, is love.

It is not my own view that we should hold back on verbal expressions of love. Still it takes more than words. Many will say in that day: Lord, Lord (a term of endearment), we prophecies in your name, we did miracles in your name... All which was not enough.

Having said this, we surely agree with this essay and we must avoid merely going through the motions of what we think a believer in Christ should look like.