Everyone knows the famous line from 1 Corinthians 13:4 - "Love is patient, love is kind, etc." It has been the topic of many homilies at my home parish. This weekend, our pastor pointed out that true love is not the huggy, kissy, touchy-feely notion that today's society has come to equate with love.
Love, as described in Paul's letter to the Corinthians, evolves from the Greek word agape. Agape is love without conditions or motivations. It is freely given to all, regardless of who you are or what you do. Someone filled with agape for others freely chooses to serve without expectation of service in return ("...It does not seek its own interests..." 1 Cor. 13:5). God's love is agape, God's agape is revealed to us in Jesus, and through our faith in Jesus, we become a channel for communicating this wonderful love to others.
Coincidentally, this very idea came up again last night when I was having a conversation with my friend, Paul. We were throwing around ideas about our faith and what it means to live life as a Christian. Out of the blue, he told me, "If I could only preach one sermon in my entire life, I would entitle it, 'Loving the unlovables.'" I pondered this for a moment, and realized the importance for all Christians to have agape for those we wouldn't consider as our friends, or people we don't believe are worthy of our love. Love should be defined as willing the good for another.
In Jesus' time, people avoided association with lepers because they considered them unclean and outcasts. In today's world, we might consider many to be unlovables -- perhaps the hardest to love are those who we consider our "enemies" for one reason or another. There are a myriad of reasons we might be able to justify to ourselves why we shouldn't love someone. As Christians, we sometimes fall short in sharing Christ's perfect agape with these people and instead decide to shun them, or have no feelings for them one way or the other. This is an area where we need to improve; it is no doubt one of the most important things God calls us to do.
Can you apply God's form of agape to those you consider unlovables?
(Many thanks to my friend Paul whose inspiration helped me to write this post.)
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Comments (19)
Too bad God isn't real.
I have definitely struggled with this, and actually do still struggle with it. There's a few people I know who hurt me in the past that I have a hard time tolerating, let alone loving them as Jesus would. I know this isn't right, but when it comes down to it, I would willingly jump in front of a bus to push them out of the way if necessary, but would I want to have dinner with them? Probably not. As Christians we need to love everyone but, depending on the circumstances, there may be some people we just don't need in our lives. I'm still struggling to try and understand that.
For me it's hardest to love those who create the "unlovables" group, who seperate themselves from it. I get along fine with the poor and the marginalized, but it's hard to love the ones that spit upon the least of these. I try to open these people's mind to God's true vision for Heaven on earth - community bound by love, sharing in everything, respectful to all, sustainable and yet ever-growing in love and nurturing. It takes a lot of patience to love the rich who reject those who need the nurturing, to love those who refuse to love those who are crying out for it so desperately.
So a "disAbility" makes me "unlovable?" Does being deaf make a person..."Unlovable?" :d
"we might consider many to be unlovables -- gays and lesbians"
I am happily married and heterosexual, but I find this line very offensive. Who ever said homosexuals are unlovable? I guess I am one of those weird Christians who wonders why they are treated like leapers. its not a disease, its not something you can catch. It just is what it is. What did they ever do to us?
I think we as Christians need to stop looking at homosexuality as something that needs to be fixed, and let God be the judge of that. There are so many more problems in the world that we can actually do something about. Just leave'em alone.
I think a better question is how do you love someone who can't love you back? (Not a sinner, a sociopath...)
@JJPrint3rd@xanga - @Stanelle@xanga - I definitely don't mean to say that I personally find people with disabilities or gays and lesbians to be "unlovable." Some people do though. And these are often groups of people that society ignores or refuses to associate with. But I really hope that one day we as Christians can learn to love all groups of people, regardless of whether they are like us, and share Christ's perfect agape with them. Sorry if my tone came off the wrong way. I did not mean to insult anyone through this post.
In today's world, we might consider many to be unlovables -- gays and lesbians, people with deformities or disabilities, the homeless, people with different faith backgrounds, people who have higher or lower incomes than us,
"Yes, I hate you purely because of your sexual orientation."
"Haha, you're crippled, I don't love you."
"Hey, go live in a box because I don't love you and no one ever will."
"Wiccan? Mo' like Wiccan't love you!"
"You're too rich/poor for me, therefore I hate you based on just that."
You...you can't be serious with those, can you? The last one you mention, "those who we consider our "enemies" for one reason or another" is more believable, but honestly, just saying things like the above passage I quoted are why non-Christians see us as the biggest bunch of hateful jerks out there.
The first thing we have to remember is that as Christians there is nothing whatsoever in any of us makes us lovable. But for those whom God has chosen, He set his love on us, not because we are lovely, but because He loves us. He alone is lovely! His grace and mercy toward us is of His own sovereign choosing.
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you...
Deut. 6:7-8a
When we realize we did nothing to merit God's love, we will be humbled and begin to see others with a compassionate heart as He saw us. We were totally undeserving of His love, we were His enemies, we were sheep scattered without a shepherd – and yet – He loved us and sent the Lamb of God to die for all of us who had gone astray each to our own way that those who believe on Him might be saved and have everlasting life. That's the kind of love we can and will show others as the Spirit of His Son has come to dwell in us. Impossible with us, but possible through His Spirit of love who dwells in us.
@CyanideNGunpowder@xanga - @JJPrint3rd@xanga - @Stanelle@xanga - @RebelHeartTurnedRestlessGhost@xanga - I understand that I may have been misunderstood in this post and made it seem like I shun people who are different than I am. This is not what I believe at all!! But I have noticed that it has become an unfortunate trend in our society, even among Christians, to shun these people. The point of this post was to CHANGE those views, not to propagate them.
Now, the part of this post that many of you may have found to be offensive is removed. Hopefully this change will help everyone to understand my original intent in this post more clearly. If I offended any of you by my original statements in this post, I hope you accept my apologies. It was not my intention, but I will try to be more careful with my tone and wording from now on.
@naphtali_deer@xanga - that was wonderfully worded.. thank you.
@Winds_of_Change - with all due respect, where you do talk about bringing change? (action plan, not a "we should...")
And if you are going to talk about love in the bible I have a few ideas...
How about teaching men to love their wives as the Bible says they are to? "Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the Church"
How about teaching children to respect their parents and love their friends? ""Honour thy father and mother" and "greater love hath no man then he lays down his life for his brother"
How about rather then the Fruits of the Spirit, focus on "Love thy neighbor as thyself".
I tell you, this world would be so much better off if many Christians (as they claim) would put this commandment into practice even one day of the week.
And as a final thought I'd like to ad for your friend, that he can preach that sermon he wants to every moment of every day by how he treats those around him. Actions speak louder then words.
It's easier for me to love the "unlovable" whatever group it is than to love my fellow Christians. They are my unlovables. I have to learn to love them. I find that to be really difficult but I think that might be changing more.
p
@JJPrint3rd@xanga - Thanks, but of course the wording is relatively easy, it's the living it out in real life that's far, far harder – in fact, impossible apart from His power.
To answer to the final question then: Can you apply God's form of agape to those you consider unlovables? If we are truly Christ's, the answer to that question is yes because we have His Spirit in us. And not only can we apply it, we must apply it. The love we have for others is a proof we are truly Christ's, and God Himself is no respecter of persons and we're not to be either.
Love is just hard to do, or rather, sort of like how naphtali_deer put it, impossible for us as humans. It doesn't necessarily have to be social outcasts that are unloved I don't think, because there are plenty of people in the world who just hate their next door neighbor because they're too "normal". The hardest thing to have to acknowledge and face every day I think is the disturbingly natural tendency and incredible capacity that people everywhere have to hate. It's a terrible condition that we humans are in and in being able to acknowledge all of this, the whole situation starts to look very bleak and hopeless. The only real hope that there is, is love. And, like you said, not just any love but agape love. The love that is Christ who is God.
The only way that love (the perfect kind) can ever possibly be given by us humans is if (and only if) we are in a constant state of receiving love, and who is the supplier of this necessity?
A lot of times I feel that people don't ever fully understand what they are asking for when they search out love. Everyone has this imperfect illusion of what love is and is supposed to look like in their hearts and minds and hardly anyone stops to think that the picture they're carrying around in their head is distorted, even if ever so slightly (sort of like how one drop of oil renders 25 liters of water undrinkable), because of the inevitable biases that come with each and every single human life being unique and different from the next.
We need to not throw definitions for that word around so easily because we don't know it all.
this is wonderful topic ... i will put acopy of this topic
on my sites here
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Well it seems like many Christians don't love gays in the U.S.
Too bad...the hypocritical nature of Christianity. Selling the image of love when they really just support discrimination against those who don't agree with them.
I definetly get what your trying to say, the apology was well said as well.
One thing I wrestle with here is government. Our government creates this "unlovables" group. What makes the drug-users, the high-tempered, the alcoholics, the homeless any less lovable than anyone else? Yet our government imprisons many of these people, puts a mark on their record that makes them "harder to love" for many. And it's still a racist system! 1 in 3 African Americans are under some form of judicial confinement. Anyways, my question is - if our government is really playing a major role in creating an "unlovables" group or classifying certain groups as "more sinful," should we not be fighting against this government? And Jesus was all about redemption. I don't see a lot of redemption in our judicial branch - so if Jesus is not in it, then why do so many Christians support this government? Not all do, I know, but that's another trend I've noticed.
Gosh, I could go on about these - if anyone is interested on further discussion (death penalty, wealth, and capitalism are most on my mind as of late), feel free to inquire on my beliefs and I would love to hear yours.
@nnnnn - You keep saying that.
منتديات حوامل |
الولادة الطبيعية |
الولادة القيصرية |
الحمل والولادة |
دردشة حوامل |
اطفال الانابيب |
اعراض الحمل |
علامات الولادة |
علامات الحمل |
الاجهاض |
ملابس اطفال |
مراحل الجنين |
الوحم |
حساب موعد الولادة |
حساب الحمل |
طرق الحمل |
علامات الحمل بولد |
علامات الحمل بتوأم |
بعد الاجهاض |
اسباب الاجهاض |
الحمل بعد الاجهاض |
اعراض الاجهاض |
حكم الاجهاض |
حبوب الاجهاض |
الاجهاض المنزلي |
الاجهاض بالاعشاب |
تنظيف الرحم |
الدورة بعد الاجهاض |
الرحم بعد الاجهاض |
نمو الجنين |
مراحل نمو الجنين |
مراحل الحمل بالصور |
ولادة طبيعية يوتيوب |
الاجهاض المتكرر |
الوحم اثناء الحمل |
علاج الوحم |
اعراض الوحم |
متى يبدا الوحم |
تحديد موعد الولادة |
جدول الحمل |
طريقه الحمل |
حبوب ياسمين |
حبوب جينيرا |
حبوب مارفيلون |
ايام التبويض |
فترة التبويض |
ايام الحمل |
التبويض عند المرأة |
التبويض بالصور |
علاج تكيس المبايض |
تكيس المبايض وعلاجه |
منع الحمل |
ولادة طبيعية |
ولادة فيديو |
ولادة قيصرية فيديو |
اسماء بنات مواليد |
اسماء بنات |
اسماء مواليد جديدة |
حبوب منع الحمل |
التبويض |
تكيس المبايض |
المبايض |
فساتين حوامل |
فترة النفاس |
مراحل الحمل |
حبوب الحمل |
اللولب |
موانع الحمل |
اشهر الحمل |
سكر الحمل |
هرمون الحمل |
هرمونات الحمل |
علاج الحمل |
الجماع والحمل |
لمنع الحمل |
اضرار الحمل |
ايام الحمل |
اختبار الحمل |
اختبارات الحمل |
تحليل الحمل |
الولادة المبكرة |
صور ولادة |
فيديو ولادة |
اسماء مواليد |
ازياء اطفال |
صور حوامل |
علاج العقم |
ازياء حوامل |
نمو الجنين |
جنس الجنين |
حركة الجنين |
هدايا مواليد |
الولادة |
حبوب الحديد |
تسهيل الولادة |
مستشفى الوطني |
مستشفى العسكري |
مستشفى الدمام |
مستشفى الولادة والاطفال |
مستشفى الولادة |
الرضاعة الطبيعية |
الرضاعة الصناعية |
ملابس حوامل |
الحمل الكاذب |
الطلق الصناعي |
تأخر الدورة |
الالم الدورة |
حبوب الكلوميد |
الكلوميد |
حمض الفوليك |
حبوب الفوليك |
دخول في الشهر العاشر |
نزول المشيمة |
نزول الدم اثناء الحمل |
غذاء الحامل |
الجماع اثناء الحمل |
الجنس والحمل |
الأزياء |
علاج الغثيان |
علاج الإمساك |
الختان |
منتديات نسائية |
منتدى نسائي |
السوق النسائي |
الاكسسوارات |
المكياج |
العطور |
العناية بالشعر |
العناية بالبشرة |
الرشاقة |
الرشاقة والصحة |
العروس |
السوق التجاري |
الوظائف النسائية |
المشكلات الأسرية |
المطلقات |
الأرامل |
الدايت شوب |
ديكور المنزل |
ديكور المطبخ |
الطب البديل |
الصحة الغذائية |
الحمل الكاذب |
الحمل خارج الرحم |
حساب الوزن |
التحويل الهجري الى الميلادي |
حساب العمر |
التجارة الالكترونية |
بوابة التجارة |
منتدى التجارة |
منتديات التجارة |
منتديات تجارية |
أمازون |
بيدز |
بايز |
منتجات أبل |
آي فون |
البلاك بيري |
بنوتات |
منتديات بنوتات |
منتديات نسائية |
العلوم الطبيعية |
منتديات تعليمية |
منتدى التعليم |
منتدى التربية والتعليم |
دم الحمل |
تحليل الحمل المنزلي |
اسباب تاخر الحمل |
تنظيم الحمل |
الحمل الطبيعي |
بعد الحمل |
حساب الحمل والولادة |
صور الحمل |
المواد التعليمية |
العلوم الطبيعية |
تحاضير العلوم الطبيعية |
المواد العملية |
تحاضير المواد العملية |
اللغة الانجليزية |
تحاضير اللغة الانجليزية |
العلوم الدينية |
تحاضير العلوم الدينية |
اللغة العربية |
تحاضير اللغة العربية |
التربية الخاصة |
الاجتماعيات و التربية الوطنية |
تحاضير مواد الاجتماعيات |
المواد العملية |
تحاضير المواد العملية |
محو الأمية |
رياض الاطفال |
مجموعة اتفاق |
إتفاق |
تاخر الحمل |