Thank you so very much for sharing your insights, dear brother in Christ!
What could that "first love" be except such a love for God with whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and such a love as that of the new commandment's "love one another as I have loved you." These would combine in the love that is propagated when others are told of Christ and come to new life.
So very true. Light and Love cannot be separated. God is Love. God is Light. Jesus is the brightness of the Father's glory (Hebrews 1:3) - and Love is the first fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.)
Therefore, I find it quite revealing that Ephesus is mentioned first in Revelation 2. Because if a Christian (or in this case, a church) loses its primary focus, its first love, i.e. fails to love God first above all else - darkness comes.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. - I John 4:16 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. - Rev 2:4-5
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness! - Matt 6:22-23
And it follows the Great Commandment to love God above all else, that a Christian must love his neighbor as himself (Matt 22). Love is how a Christian (or church) walks in the Light:
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. - I John 1:5-7
But if the Christian or church is hateful to his brother, darkness comes.
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. - John 2:9-11
That is what I see as the risk - and the opportunity - of hyper-denominationalism (as you called it, xzins). One who condemns his neighbor for not believing Christ exactly the same way is not loving him and is therefore at risk of darkness. Conversely, the one condemned has the opportunity to forgive, to return love for hate, good for evil.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matt 5:14-16
To God be the glory!