I rather glibly made this statement during the recent recording of a TV show all about love. It was my final comment and I am not sure I know where it came from nor entirely sure that it was true. But like many sound bites it
sounded good. So let’s explore.
February means that we consider the romantic aspect of love from the Greek god Eros. Meeting and matching ourselves with new people and forming new loving relationships with people we have not met, or rekindling our affectionate love with an existing partner. However our Eros love usually comes with conditions such as “I will love you is you will.............................(you
can fill in the dots for yourself).
However CS Lewis (author of the Narnia Chronicles including The Lion,
The Witch and The Wardrobe) talks of four types of love. Eros love is one, but he also talks about Agape love, or put another way, Unconditional Love, that requires no rhyme , or reason, or excuse, it just is a way of feeling and thinking and acting.
So is unconditional love simple? Of course it is, it is natural, honest, it’s in all our belief systems, religious and non religious when it comes to caring for fellow humans, animals, plants and our world. We have the ability to love ourselves and others and share all our worldly possessions with those who have less than we do, put down our weapons and choose never to abuse
another ever again.
But we also fight wars in the name of love. War is not simple. It means hatred, lust, desire and the ability and intention to abuse, hurt and kill another because of our love of supremacy, race, faith, money, politics, resources, land. And a host of other reasons to act unlovingly in the name of love.
So is love at Eros love in conflict with Agape love? Does unconditional love wage war with all that is conditional? Do we judge love as ok in some situations and not ok in others? If the answer to that last question is“yes” are
we complicating the simplicity of being loving?
I know, you are reading this and asking “questions, questions, questions, when are you going to give me some answers”?
Ok try this, when we stop placing terms and conditions on love, we may
just have a chance of bringing loving and lasting peace to the world. We may
stop starvation, disease and suffering, because these will have no place in the
perfect world.
Fairy tale, pipe dream, impossible in this day and age? If so please
unconditionally tell me that you would prefer the alternative of living a life of conditional love in a less than perfect world.
sounded good. So let’s explore.
February means that we consider the romantic aspect of love from the Greek god Eros. Meeting and matching ourselves with new people and forming new loving relationships with people we have not met, or rekindling our affectionate love with an existing partner. However our Eros love usually comes with conditions such as “I will love you is you will.............................(you
can fill in the dots for yourself).
However CS Lewis (author of the Narnia Chronicles including The Lion,
The Witch and The Wardrobe) talks of four types of love. Eros love is one, but he also talks about Agape love, or put another way, Unconditional Love, that requires no rhyme , or reason, or excuse, it just is a way of feeling and thinking and acting.
So is unconditional love simple? Of course it is, it is natural, honest, it’s in all our belief systems, religious and non religious when it comes to caring for fellow humans, animals, plants and our world. We have the ability to love ourselves and others and share all our worldly possessions with those who have less than we do, put down our weapons and choose never to abuse
another ever again.
But we also fight wars in the name of love. War is not simple. It means hatred, lust, desire and the ability and intention to abuse, hurt and kill another because of our love of supremacy, race, faith, money, politics, resources, land. And a host of other reasons to act unlovingly in the name of love.
So is love at Eros love in conflict with Agape love? Does unconditional love wage war with all that is conditional? Do we judge love as ok in some situations and not ok in others? If the answer to that last question is“yes” are
we complicating the simplicity of being loving?
I know, you are reading this and asking “questions, questions, questions, when are you going to give me some answers”?
Ok try this, when we stop placing terms and conditions on love, we may
just have a chance of bringing loving and lasting peace to the world. We may
stop starvation, disease and suffering, because these will have no place in the
perfect world.
Fairy tale, pipe dream, impossible in this day and age? If so please
unconditionally tell me that you would prefer the alternative of living a life of conditional love in a less than perfect world.
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