NOW THIS LOVE!

Yes, what is love? Everybody talks about “love” in everyday conversation. Animals show it. Birds of the air sing beautiful songs of love and tranquility. There are movies, drama, songs and books out there based on love, but the six four million dollar question is: Do we really know, “What’s love?!”

Bellow are some Greek definitions of love:

            

Eros:

       This is the romantic love of passion, of physical longing, deep intensity, and  

        intimacy. It is often the initial love that attracts a couple. Here, the love is          

    

         attracted to what it finds desirable, or beautiful and this love often knows                                

         knows no limits and searches without satisfaction through many objects of    

         desires.

Philos:

        This is love that is characterized by sharing, companionship and shared        

         values. This love exemplifies friendship-based and brotherly love. It is more

         comprehensive and less self-seeking than eros.

Storge:

        This refers to family love between parent and child, or between two incredibly    

        close people. It is instinctive, and does not need to be requited.

Agape:

        This is considered purest, most comprehensive and most mysterious form of

         love. It is unconditional love. Agape dissolves our separateness from God,

         others, and ourselves, instead of seeking security and consolation, or seeking  

         to be loved. We are love. Agape is the love of altruism, of giving without

         asking anything in return.

It is well illustrated in a famous Bible verse in 1 Corinthians 13, depicting other qualities of love as:

Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give all my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophesies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is imperfect will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.

So how do we attract love into our lives? We get love by giving love, for as we give, so do we receive. Life is like a mirror and will reflect back to us what we put out. Want more in your life? Then I invite you to demonstrate to a friend or family member real AGAPE love. Call someone up for no other reason than to tell them you love them.