Agape

In contrast to my (just slight) vehemence in today’s early post, I thought it’d be fitting to show the love. It’s all about balance.

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Love.

Just look at the word.

Love.

Doesn’t it conjure up all sorts of feelings ranging from contentment and peace to anxiety and judgment? I mean, if you’re NOT in love, at the mere mention of it you probably notice the lack of it in your life. Then again, if you ARE in love, then the word is probably interchangeable with your sweetie’s name. You know…”I Heart Mr. Imaginary Pants” and whatnot.

It seems that in our 30-second newsbyte world, love only means being in love. To truly define love (platonic, romantic or charitable) would take patient study and copious time. Since our consumer culture has a small threshold for this scholastic endeavor, we are largely ignorant to how gigantic the concept is. We make it into one thing (emotion), but ignore the multitude. According to scripture in Christ, it is vast - great, high, deep, and wide.

In Greek alone, there are more than a few types of love: agape, eros, philia and storge.

While each of these have their own unique application and could warrant additional examination, I’m intrigued by agape and want to explore it.

Agape seems to be the grounding, central characteristic of love. It is commonly identified as being Biblical (which could suggest that the authors saw it as a beautiful concept). Other than that, in The Odyssey (one of the few ancient texts where it’s used) it seems to suggest something that creates contentment. Still most frequently, it is identified as the type of love that Christ had for us – brotherly, based in generosity and care.

(It also intrigues me that the word agape looks like a gape - the reaction you'd have if you saw generous acts of love in practice.)

When I reflect on agape, it seems that our modern terminology (the flat, difficult to define love) would do well to explore things visually. In our context love is cotton-candy when we’re ravenous. Agape is a thick, rich stew - something that sticks to our bones. Love makes things hazy and delirious. Agape gives focus.

Still, beyond comparison, we are gifted with a concrete example of what agape looks like - in Jesus’ nature and practice. His parables are testament to love in action (essentially what agape is designed to be) and show us how to sow this generous love.

There is an absolutely unlimited opportunity to practice, as agape exists independent of a relationship (or marriage). We don’t need to be coupled to share it. It exists in the simpleness of kind gestures and words. It exists when we stop to ask about a co-worker’s life and really listen to them. It exists when we try to love people as they are, not as we’d like them to be. It exists when we pray for each other. It exists when we waste time with a friend. It exists when we share our blessings. It exists when we share our burdens.

As a cuddler, an encourager, a present and caring friend and a daughter of God, I like to think that I’m good at this type of loving. Sometimes I am. Sometimes I really suck at it.

With my close friends, I know I’m getting it right. We openly cry about and dig into the past. We affirm and love each other in the present. We promise to be present in the future. We practice agape.

Now that your brain is slightly more engaged, look at the word again.

Love.

Doesn’t it look different? Bigger somehow?

Like something you could do in your world…as it is right now?