The month of February, and
one day in particular, seems to be devoted to love. When we think of love,
especially around February 14, we think of romantic love, a couple in love,
wine and roses and all that nonsense. In the Bible, however, there are four different
kinds of love. Eros, Phileo, Storge, and Agape.
Since there are four Sundays
in February, I thought I would write about each one of these types of love each
week. After spending an hour on-line last night, reading various websites and
looking up a bunch of Bible verses containing the word love, I came to a
dead-end. As happens sometimes. So here’s the Cliff-notes version and I’ll
see if I’m feeling the love next week.
Eros is the type of love, as mentioned above, that we
think of as romantic love or even sensual love (and so does the Bible which is
where I really came to a standstill. Just read Song of Solomon sometime). Yes,
it is where we get the word erotic comes from.
Phileo is brotherly love. Think of Philadelphia, the city of
brotherly love? That’s where that comes from. Phileo is our love towards
others, our caring and compassion towards all mankind. From a Christian perspective,
of course, towards fellow believers. "By this everyone will know that you
are my disciples if you love one another." (John 13:35, NIV)
Storge is the love we feel for family, our parents, siblings,
children and anyone else in the family fold. I think of it as the momma-bear
feeling I get if anyone messes with my kids, right?
Lastly, is Agape,
the unconditional immeasurable, incomparable, pure love which God feels for us.
Definitely the strongest type of love, the one we should strive for, but we can’t
do it on our own. Only through the Holy Spirit can we ever love like this.
So, what do you think? Willing
to read more about this whole love-thing and what the Bible has to say about it?
Let’s see what I come up with this week.
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