Agape

I have been reading a few of Martin Luther King's speeches (per Hope's recommendation). One of the topics he brings up regularly is the meaning of love. There are three words in the Greek language for love. There is eros, which is a sort of romantic love. There is philia, a sort of reciprocal love between personal friends, very valuable and vital. But when talking about loving those who oppose you and seek to defeat you, we are not talking about eros or philia. "It would be nonsense to urge men to love their oppressors in an affectionate sense."

The Greek language has a third word for love, and that is agape. It is understanding, creative, redemptive good will for all men. It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. You love them not because they are likable, not because they do things that attract us, but because God loves them. Here we love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. We see many people doing evil things these days, or things we do not agree with. We do not have to love what they are doing, but we must love them.

Martin Luther King Jr. said agape stands at the center of the movement he was trying to carry. Loving others because God loves them is what we must do in the movement we are trying to accomplish. Whatever your goal or mission, love others. If for no other reason than that God loves them.

We can make a difference.

Faith