On Love

How do we define love so that we all know what we are talking about when we say the word "love"?  How many types of love are there?  The Love of God?  Romantic love between spouses?  Parental love of children?  Familial love of relatives?  Or the love shared with platonic friends?  Love is all of these feelings though there are significant differences between each type of love.

Agape is the highest form of love; the word "agape" means unconditional love.  Agape is the love that God has for humans.  There is no twoness - a person and the object of that person's emotion - in agape.  It is more correct to say that God is agape love - an omnipresent feeling present throughout the universe that includes everyone and everything.  Agape is an aspect of the universe like gravity or electro-magnetism.

Love between spouses or relatives is care, concern, and comfort.  Love is the comfort from being in someone's presence and the reassurance of his or her continued attention.  Absence of a loved one leads to feelings of missing that person and questions (concern) about his or her wellbeing.  Romantic or familial love gives meaning to our quotidian lives.  These loves are our realest experiences because we find our place in these relationships and it is usually to care for someone else.  Love is not a consolation prize for the average human being or for the less fortunate.  In fact, romantic, familial, or friendship love is not guaranteed in every human life.

Love reveals our complete equality.  It makes no nevermind who is involved.  The love that Africans, Caucasians, or Asians experience is equal despite differences in appearance, culture, language, and religion.  Perhaps one day this realization will lead us to love others as we do ourselves.

How do you define love?  Share your theory with scott@theorism.org.