not love from god, even my friends with that are looking for love. Love in a relationship, oh boy how we all know where this post is going. Lets start at where I bring in my knowledge.
The greeks had 3 forms of love here they are in order of Truth from most to least:
Philia, this was the highest form of love in greek culture(up until agape, which is the love from god. came about around the time of jesus, which was the highest at that point.) Philia was the love between friends, it translates to mean friendship. It was the most reveared and cherished love in anceint Greece. This love would never fail and there are stories that prove that point.
next was Storge: the love of a family, of a parent to a child. This could also apply to spouses, who were not just in it for the passion. This love was genuine and not a bad thing, it wasnt driven by evil and was just under philia.
last and least was eros, sexual love between a man and woman. This was thought to be the weakest and most evil of all love. Throughout greek society and mythology you can see time and time again when men and women turn on those they love. It isnt stroge, they arent married, and they dont love each other in an affecitionate way. It's eros, passion. It comes and goes quickly and never seems to mean a thing.
I want to focus on the last two mentioned. My friends, who are lonely. Want and need Stroge, an affection, a love that isnt selfish and self serving. They may have agape which is the most powerful but that isnt what they are lacking. The only problem is that when they are out looking for storge, for someone who loves them and will care for them. All of the people they find, give them eros. Eros hurts, it burns even. why was cupid known as eros, becuase cupid wasnt a nice guy, and eros wasnt a nice love. It was painful and let you down.
My friends need to learn that settling for eros is what they are doing, and that if they want storge they have to not only find it in a person who is mature and ready to give that kind of love, but also someone who will give them philia(the love of a friend). Someone who will sacrifice eros(sexual and passionate love) when it needs to be washed away, and who will give up themselves for the greater. My friends need to learn that if you want that kind of love, you need to hold out for it, and then once you have it, fight for it with everything youve got, because in this world, it is the most precious of human contact, and its easily destroyed.
And then i pray.
peace and love in god.
-david
Think Like An Outsider
1 week ago
