February 14, 2013
Alexia Isaak
On this St. Valentine's Day, I thought it would be nice to take a slightly more in depth look at the meaning of love. Across cultures and languages, love has a different meaning. In English there's just one word for love, but in Greek there are many words to express the kind of love you are feeling.
St. Valentine
Webster's dictionary defines love as a strong affection for another rising out of kinship or personal ties.
Another description of love says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." That passage is from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 in the Bible. Though it is from a Christian book, its meaning rings true across many cultures and religions and is echoed throughout.
Other meanings for love include:
-
Eros- the Greek word for passionate love.
- Agape- the Greek word expressing the brotherly love between siblings and parents and children.
- Filia- expresses friendly love.
- Caritas- the Latin word to show brotherly love.
With all the different ways we can love, let's take a moment today to reflect in self-awareness and think about who we can love more. Can we show more love to our parents and friends, spouses and children? I'm blessed with lots of agape around me. My parents show me their love. My mentor, Rhonda Shasteen, shows me her sisterly love for me through being my sounding board with her constant support and caring of my well-being. Sometimes I stop in awe of the profound blessing in my life. I'm grateful to have love and aim to share that love with you with each post. Since St. Valentine's Day isn't just about the Eros kind of love, I'm wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day!