The Tale of Two Loves

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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 second of the two.  Enjoy!

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps, leap fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”  ~ Maya Angelou

In this second week of February, as Valentine's Day approaches, we start to reevaluate our relationships. One has to reevaluate ourselves to see if even we know what love is.  So, what is Love? To this writer it that feeling in which you are made complete. When at times you wait by the phone, to answer and become elated to hear the voice of that special someone. To get to where you start to complete each other sentences. Those of us in more seasoned relationships wonder if the love is still there, sometimes overanalyzing our situation to the point where we are either all in or trying to get out.

This is common because often times we are unaware of what love is. As mentioned earlier this week, there are four types of Love defined by the Ancient Greek: agape (unconditional), eros (passionate love), philieo (brotherly/friendly love), and storge (parental).  Here, we focus on eros and philieo, which are similar to us.  We sometimes enter into romantic relationships with those we consider our soul mates, but sometimes our mates really should only be our friends.  And just because they have everything that you desire, or you feel they complete you, we can mess up God's plan by pursuing a romantic relationship.  Yes, some relationships start off as friendships and can be allowed to grow into a deeper connection.  

I am not saying go leave home because of your soul mate is really suppose to be just a friend. What I am suggesting is that when the Eros have left I pray that you fall back on the Agape that unconditional Love to keep your fire and desire in your life. 

To those of us who are in search for the love of our life, I encourage you to first love your self, for if cant love our selves then how can we Love. Then allow God to place you in the place to find that one whom he has prepare for you. Scripture what God has put together let no man put asunder.If eros and phileo are so close, then how can we tell which one to pursue?   Before we can love others, we must first love ourselves the way God loves us. God gives the opportunity to learn how to love.  We are nurtured from our mother's womb and shown love through our rearing up. Paul, in I Corinthians 13:4-7 writes,  “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”.  Only then can we go out and experience love and find the one we want to be with start a family and continue to show that same love.

Consider evaluating your eros and phileo relationships and, with God’s help, discern how to deepen each one.

Be blessed

S. William Brown

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