Lessons in Love…
Hello February! In the past couple of years when I have written an article in February, it’s been about love, because after all, it is considered the month of love. Most of us focus on the loves of our lives, or the lovelessness of our lives. Either way, love is the focus. This time I want to bring about a different focus. What if we looked at love the way it is supposed to be with all people? What if we looked at the definitions of the four types of love and broke it down to where we are at right here, right now.
The first love that everyone is familiar with is Eros love. This is the physical touch love between husband and wife and confirms the marital union. ‘Nuff said.
The second is Philia (sometimes referred to as Phileo) often translated “brotherly love“, philia is usually translated as “friendship” or affection. The kind of love we have amongst our brothers and sisters from other mothers and misters. It is the bonding love between friends that remains tight until the end. A love that gives you the sense of belonging and a surety that someone will always have your back and you theirs. The kind of friendship that even though you may be separated by years, you can call them or see them and pick up right where you left off. This kind of friendship can even be found in marriages. You have heard a spouse call their husband or wife their best friend, that is because they have forged a relational bond that no one can break, a trust that will stand the test of time. Highly unusual, but very wonderful! (Here is a fun fact for you: the opposite of philia is called a phobia! We all know what it’s like to lose trust in those around us and we continuously watch whenever we sense it!)
The third love is Storge (pronounced stor-JAY) is a Greek word that is used in Christianity to mean family love, the bond among mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers of blood and, what I call, bonus family. Blended families that come together to make one family are bonuses not ‘steps’, I always say steps are something you walk on, I don’t let my bonus peeps walk on me, nor do I walk on them! It creates a great atmosphere to help mold everyone into the family unit. Every one of these forms of love are great, but the greatest is yet to come….
And it is Agape love: it is described as a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. This Greek word, agápē (pronounced uh-GAH-pay) is the love that was expressed by Jesus in His willingness to lay down His life for us, even though He did nothing deserving of the cruelest form of punishment and death, He did it anyway. Are we able to do the same? To lay down our life for the greater good of all, to set our own self aside for the love of someone else, no matter who that someone is? Just giving you something to think about.
Final thought….no matter what kind of love you choose to walk in, choose to walk in love. Don’t allow the crazy that is going on around this world to taint the one thing we all have in common, the desire to love and be loved.
Lovely to share with you!
Mary G.
