Love

https://odb.org/MY/2022/02/14/the-power-of-love-4

As Christians, we sometimes think of love as something that is beyond just human love because of Jesus’s love for us. We know that the ultimate love is one that is willing to sacrifice one’s life for another and Jesus died for all humankind so that we may be reconciled back to God. Willingness to die fir another is not a standard that is achievable by many but at the very least introduces the concept of sacrifice as a prerequisite of love. The willingness to sacrifice and go the extra mile. Those are the elements of love. But the agape love of God goes beyond all that as it is unconditional and He loves us despite our iniquities. It is proactive and doesn’t depend on our reaction. God loved us first and called us first to Him. He knocked on the door of our hearts first. He loves us even if we reject Him. His love remains true, faithful and unwavering until the end.

Human love is usually described as eros (erotic love) or philia (brotherly love) but I think what’s more relevant to us as Christians is koinonia love which is the intimate spiritual communion between us as believers and Christ, that we are a community that is also the body of Christ with Christ as head, as Lord and King.

Sharing from my own experience, I knew that I loved my wife the day I was willing to sacrifice for her and go the extra mile. Before that what I had was mine alone but when I loved her, I told myself that what I had was hers as well. We will have a shared life together, a shared destiny, a commitment to support each other in everything until the very end. When I had children, I could see that I was willingly able to sacrifice and go the extra mile for my two boys. They may or nay not be able to do so but by being an example to them, they will learn to reciprocate and to emulate.

I have seen and I know that non-believers can equally love whether in romantic (eros) or platonic (philia) relationships, but perhaps what will distinguish us as people in the faith is the willingness to sacrifice and go the extra mile with one another and others as koinonia love. When Jesus taught us to love our neighbour, it extends beyond those in the faith and thus if we are willing to sacrifice and go the extra mile for people we interact with (not limited to those in our church), we will be reflecting the agape love of God that is in us.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! As the world celebrates the love between couples, let us improve upon our koinonia love within our community of believers and body of Christ, and extend that to others we know and interact with. The more we love others, the more of Christ’s love will be manifested through us.