Enkindle - i love chocolate…
20 Jul
Love, a word, sadly, has often been reduced to just that—a mere word. It is used with a troubling ease and carelessness. From the trivial "I love chocolate" to the profound "I love you," the word "love" is applied to a wide array of objects and experiences. We say we love the beauty of a sunset, the majesty of a mountain, the delicacy of a flower. We express love for good food, a sweet biscuit, or hot bread fresh from the oven. But when we read the words, "For God so loved the world," I am left to ponder: how do we interpret the word in this sacred context?
Here, I acknowledge the risk of assuming that everyone views 'love' in a casual manner. However, years of personal observation have led me to believe that this word is often used with little thought, myself included. I wish to offer a reflection that invites us to reconsider the depth and wonder of 'love.' May it challenge us to be more mindful of how we use this profound word in our everyday lives.
The Greek word agape (ἀγάπη) is often translated as "love" in English, but it carries a deeper and more specific meaning than many uses of the word "love" in contemporary language. Agape refers to a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It is the highest form of love, one that goes beyond mere emotion and is characterized by a deep, committed, and enduring care for others, regardless of circumstances.
In Christian theology, agape is used to describe the love that God has for humanity and the love that humans are called to have for one another. This type of love is central to the teachings of Jesus, particularly in passages such as John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world...") and 1 Corinthians 13, where Paul describes the nature of true love. Agape is not dependent on feelings or mutual benefit but is a deliberate choice to seek the well-being of others, even at a personal cost. It is this profound, unconditional love that forms the foundation of Christian ethics and community life.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul provides us with a profound reflection that can inspire us to reconsider how we use the word 'love.' His words may challenge us to attune ourselves to its most sacred and profound nuances, inviting us to embrace its true depth and meaning.
Paul begins in chapter 12 of 1. Corinthians with, "And now I will show you the most excellent way..."
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.[1]
Here Paul presents 16 virtues of love, striving to capture its profound value, purpose, and function. Remarkably, none of these virtues are physical; they are all virtues of character. While each of these character virtues may indeed lead to physical or practical outcomes, they are not physical in themselves. Instead, they describe the very essence of God's character and nature, and how that divine nature can be manifested within us. Through these virtues, Paul invites us to reflect on the transformative power of love as it shapes our inner being and guides our actions in the world.
What then, when we were to consider John 3:16, a most quoted passage, to be read like this:
In patient kindness, God – without envy, boasting, or pride; without dishonouring us; not self-seeking nor easily angered – keeping no record of wrongs – with no delight in evil, but rejoicing with the truth, always protecting, always trustworthy, filled with hope, always persevering, and never failing; gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.[2] And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.[3]
After reading this, one is invited to reconsider how this word is used, as its sacred wonder unfolds before us. In the next edition I will explore the question of love’s purpose and function, as for now, may God richly bless you and cover you in His great unending and enduring LOVE.
[1] 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV
[2] John 3:16 NIV
[3] 1 John 4:16 NIV
Jim Varsos