So I've been doing a lot of thinking again lately on the subject (or rather the reason/person why I am writing this series)
One thing I still don't understand is why do people all have different definitions of the word "Love"? If Love is a universal thing like I hope it is, why is there so much plurality? I can spend all of this time thinking and trying to explain what Love is, but there will still be people out there who have their own understanding of the word that explains so much to us. Does this mean that someone's definition of Love is wrong? For their sake, I hope not.
Examining the history of the word "Love" does not make this any easier. I decided to do a little research online. This is a complete sin to all History majors like myself but... I looked at the Wikipedia page on Love. Not only are there different types of love, but they vary across cultures, religions, and languages.
Types of Love:
Interpersonal - the type of love that exists between people (human beings)
Impersonal - the type of love that exists for non-human things (country, animals, etc.)
One of the most familiar cultural definitions of Love for me would come from the Greek. They have 5 different words for "Love" that cover all the bases for me.
Examining the history of the word "Love" does not make this any easier. I decided to do a little research online. This is a complete sin to all History majors like myself but... I looked at the Wikipedia page on Love. Not only are there different types of love, but they vary across cultures, religions, and languages.
Types of Love:
Interpersonal - the type of love that exists between people (human beings)
Impersonal - the type of love that exists for non-human things (country, animals, etc.)
One of the most familiar cultural definitions of Love for me would come from the Greek. They have 5 different words for "Love" that cover all the bases for me.
- Agape - a pure, ideal form of love
- Eros - a physical, passionate love
- Philia - a virtuous love; brotherly love
- Storge - natural affection (parent to child)
- Xenia - hospitality, care for the stranger
All of the worlds major religions have their own views of love. For the majority of them, love is used to express an unselfish relationship between God and Man as well as the type of love between man and woman. One particular view I like is the Buddhist view of love. Metta is a type of love that is defined by detachment from ones own desires and an unselfish interest in the welfare of others.
One of the best definitions of love can be found in the Bible. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that (and I'm sure you've heard this one before)
One of the best definitions of love can be found in the Bible. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that (and I'm sure you've heard this one before)
"Love is patient, love is kind and it is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, it does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked; does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
I don't think that there is a definition more concise than that. It depicts love as what it is, and is not. It is very clear-cut. It just makes sense. Everything about love is good and there is nothing bad about it. Perhaps as humans we are the ones who give love a bad name. People think that they can love with 100% effort, 100% of the time, but in reality as humans there is no way that we could. When this happens and we let people down, instead of blaming our imperfection, we blame an ideal (called Love) that cannot talk back to you, we blame love for our failed relationships. We also blame failed relationships on incompatibility between people. This should not be a problem because true, idealized love existed like the kind of love in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 since "love... bears all things... endures all things." I think that "bearing" and "enduring" all things is the universal aspect of love that I have been looking for to help my definition. It makes love eternal and infinite. Because God is eternal and infinite; God is Love.
Upon reflection of this, I now realize that I haven't always loved as I should. In my first relationship that ended a few months ago, Love might have been and on-and-off kind of deal. Moments of unselfishness, kindness, compassion, tolerance, compromise, and sacrifice. But also there were a few occasions of jealousy, arrogance, ignorance, and disappointment. But I think the difference between me and her was that I was prepared and willing to "bear all things" and "endure all things". I put myself out there for her on many occasions; yet nothing similar was returned. But I still stuck with it, I didn't expect anything in return (though it would have been nice). I kept hoping that one day she might take that next step with me, but she ended it before she gave it a real chance.
I'll leave you all with one last little Bible quote that carries a lot of weight in the world of love.
Upon reflection of this, I now realize that I haven't always loved as I should. In my first relationship that ended a few months ago, Love might have been and on-and-off kind of deal. Moments of unselfishness, kindness, compassion, tolerance, compromise, and sacrifice. But also there were a few occasions of jealousy, arrogance, ignorance, and disappointment. But I think the difference between me and her was that I was prepared and willing to "bear all things" and "endure all things". I put myself out there for her on many occasions; yet nothing similar was returned. But I still stuck with it, I didn't expect anything in return (though it would have been nice). I kept hoping that one day she might take that next step with me, but she ended it before she gave it a real chance.
I'll leave you all with one last little Bible quote that carries a lot of weight in the world of love.
"No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
Keep learning to love.