Love
love of God
-unimaginable unless we love ourselves -seeking and fostering the good of others and creation -our lives are the school in which we learn to love God -love is the very nature of God -sin is the opposite of love -sin is turning our back on God
friendship
-when you see someone as an end, not as a means to an end -no ulterior motive -equal and mutual -no necessarily 50/50 -many types
If you do not feel loved...
-you can say "no" -you do not have to be the "nice person" -do not try to prove worth to others -accept your emotions -take chances -be gentle with yourself -"God made me a wonderful person"
What is the 2nd most important commandment
"Love your neighbor as yourself. There are no other commandments greater than these."
combination of the 3 Greek love words for what
Authentic love triangle
Authentic love triangle from top to bottom
Eros Philia Agape
Christian love comes from where
Scripture
romantic love
-falling in love -dating, engagement -cannot sustain a love forever -maturity based on knowledge, etc. is needed -expereinced many times -using to create a "don't" list
what is love aka
charity
what is the center of meaning for the Christian lifestyle
love
what is the cornerstone of theological virtures
love
Agape
love, brotherly love, charity, affection, good will, benevolence -love of God for man and of man for God -used in 1 Corinthians 13 -used by Thomas Aquinas "to will the good of another" -the person continues to love without self-benefit even if the love is not returned human dignity
affirmation
unconditional accpetance
love means to...
seek and foster the good of others in their concrete situation
8 types of love
self love friendship erotic love romantic love nurturing love parental love love of nature love of God
Self love
-the hardest of all loves to understand -begins with self-acceptance -we tend to measure ourselves by un-Godly standards -God's love is unconditional; -we worry too much about packaging -we must value the qualities we possess in our concrete situation
Why is love a challenge?
-the most basic challenge is whether we choose it as a whole way of life and in small, everyday instances -we must choose it -the Christian life does not demand perfection, but calls us to choose a path to love God and others
Infatuation
-happens all at once -disappears as quickly as it began -jealous, misunderstanding, uncertain -worrying -in a hurry -sex-centered -forces things you would not usually do -bring out the worst in you -traumatic -make other relationships suffer -emotional roller coaster -depends on warm feelings -you become more irritable and impatient -ideological -needs a mirror -not honest -controlling
6 Love skills of Christians
-humility -honesty -trust -patience -knowledge -courage/fortitude
In thier concrete situation:
-love the person as they are, not who we want them to be -must love them for their uniqueness and identity -when we love the uniqueness of a person, a bond in strengthened love affirms the beloved
Eros
-love, mostly of the sexual passion -erotas: intimate love/erotic -dating relationships, sacramental marriage -seek the truth through these means -transcends mind, body, and soul
Why love?
-makes us feel complete, unlimited, unthreatened -we may try to replace love with superficial and frantic activities only truly loving relationships can fill the void
nurturing love
-not optional for Christians, but a requirement -fosters good of others (Matthew 25) -must participate in charity and justice -basic moral test -> how most vulnerable members of society are doing and living -call to action
love of nature
-religious respect of the integrity of creation -love is not confined to people -caring for the Earth as a fitting home for all of God's children -Genesis 1:18 "When God created the world, God declared it was good."
Philia
-affectional regard, friendship -between equals -dispassionate virtuous love developed by Aristotle -loyalty to friends, family, community -requires virtue, equality, familiarity -love between family, friends, lovers or of an activity-> reciprocity
parental love
-closely related to nurturing love -care of vulnerable -affirmation of one's children -fosters the child's intellectual, spiritual, and emotional growth
Affirming others...
-compliments -pats of the back -pay attention -notice little things -tell people that they are important to you -do not tease -do not force the shy to be bold -do not overprotect kids -do not associate age with how much they can emotionally handle -do not let people get away with doing wrong
What is the 1st most important commandment
Mark 12:29-31 "The foremost is here, on Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord and you shall love your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."
secular definition of love
a feeling of strong/constant affection for a person
types of friendships
activity based collaborative close friends best friends aquantences
3 Greek love words
agape eros philia
erotic love
eros -conjugal (sexual relations in marriage) -desire 2 people have for a union of body, soul, heart, and mind -nothing to do with lust -transcends sexual attraction and requires total commitment -hope for in a sacramental marriage/union
Seek and foster:
finding out that other people need and then doing something about that need
The good of others:
same good we want for ourselves "Love your neighbor as yourself" Mark 12:31
lust
treating another as an object for physical satisfaction
