Agape: The Greatest Love of All

This week, we have a guest writer, Rev. S. William Brown, Pastor of St. Paul CME in Bowman, GA, who will bring us two reflections on Love.  This is the first of the two.  Enjoy!

“The greatest love of all

Is easy to achieve,

Learning to love yourself

It is the greatest love of all.”

~ “The Greatest Love of All”, as sung by the late Whitney Houston.

While we are in this week of Love, our minds sometimes wonder and consider the definition of Love. And truly it could be describe in many ways. There are the four types of Love defined by the Ancient Greeks: agape (unconditional), eros (passionate love), philieo (brotherly/friendly love), and storge (parental).  Today, we focus on agape.  Overall, it is as an emotion in which we are genuinely concerned and care for the well being of others. We respect each other to agree and disagree. We are happy when things are good and sad when there are not.

But who has shown us how to love? And what is it to love? Think about a time when it seemed like everything was going all wrong and something, out of the blue, happened to make things all better. Perhaps it was a call, a song and or even a sign on the roadside. At that moment love was being shown, that unconditional love where God sees and meets our needs.  Somehow, when we feel all alone where it seems that no friends or family to turn, God puts someone in our life for season or period of time.

There is only one I know of that can fulfill our every need and that is God. This Love is what Christians call agape.  This agape began within us before we were born. This feeling, love, has been shown from the beginning of time. The Scripture says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11 KJV).  Hezekiah received a prophecy concerning death and turned to the wall and prayed; his days were extended 15 years. There was this certain woman whom had an issue with blood and she reached out and touched Jesus's clothes and was healed. And then the was another woman whom had a little meal and oil to make food for her son and herself, so they might eat and die, but her barrel never ran empty. And then there was God who put on earthly flesh to endure earthly trials and went to a rugged cross that we might live.

Consider sharing agape, that unconditional love, with others, including your friends and your foes. Maybe feed a homeless person or even pay it forward. By doing these things we are truly showing agape.

Be blessed

S. William Brown