Love
Obsession
Agape
Thought for the Week Beginning
5 February 2017
LOVE
What do you think of when
you hear that word?
LOVE
What do you think of when you hear that word?
With Valentine’s Day coming up the majority of you probably
thought of romantic love.
How would you define love?
This is what one dictionary had:
LOVE
noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child,
or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
5. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like):
6. a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.
7. sexual intercourse; copulation.
8. (initial capital letter) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or Cupid.
9. affectionate concern for the well-being of others:
10.strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything:
11.the object or thing so liked:
12.the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due
from them to God.
13.Chiefly Tennis. a score of zero; nothing.
14.a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.
…AND…
This is what one dictionary had (contd.):
LOVE
verb (used with object), loved, loving.
15. to have love or affection for:
16. to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).
17. to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in:
18. to need or require; benefit greatly from:
19. to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.
20. to have sexual intercourse with.
verb (used without object), loved, loving.
21. to have love or affection for another person; be in love.
Lots of uses of the word ‘love’. Do you know how
many words the ancient Greeks had for this emotion?
Do you know how many words the ancient
Greeks had for this emotion?
30 different words.
Discuss if we should be more careful
about how we use the word ‘love’.
The next few slides give some of the
different ancient Greek words.
Love starts in the family.
Storge (pronounced ‘storgay’) is the love
between parents and children.
Parents are the origin of a child’s existence and
a child is usually the product of their love, so
that biological connection is almost impossible
to ignore.
Philautia, means ‘love of yourself’.
In its worst form, it can be a self-obsession that
is all about ‘me, me, me!’ But it is also about
self-worth, about feeling secure in who you are
and where you are going.
In this form, philautia is a positive type of love
that is at the heart of our identity.
Philia, an aspect of love experienced by many of
you already.
It describes the deep friendship, loyalty and
trust that exist between best friends.
Philia is also the word used for the team spirit
that is created in a sports team, for example.
Valentine’s Day often involves different types of
love.
Ludus and eros describe the physical attraction
between two people.
Then there’s pragma, which is the kind of love
you find in couples celebrating their silver, ruby
or even golden wedding anniversary. It’s about
long-lasting commitment, even when ludus and
eros may have lessened.
It is about being open to compromise
and willing to forgive.
The last Greek word for now is agape.
This is possibly the most important of all. Agape
is selfless, undeserving and generous. It’s the
kind of love that makes people volunteer for the
jobs that nobody else wants to do. It’s the kind
of love that is concerned for the needs of the
vulnerable, the lonely, the weak and people that
nobody wants to care for.
Christians believe that agape is best illustrated
in the love that God has for us.
They believe that God loves people
despite the fact that they are often
imperfect, disobedient, untrustworthy
and unlikeable.
So what is true love.
Have a look at the next few slides and then
discuss how you would define true love.
The second word in the title of this Thought for
the Week is ‘Obsession’.
How would you define it?
Can you think of examples of when obsession
might replace one of the forms of love?
OBSESSION
Here is a dictionary definition:
1. a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an
often unreasonable idea or feeling;
2. something that causes an obsession
Not such a long list!
OBSESSION
A few examples, did you come up with these?
compelling motivation e.g.
an obsession with profits
has an obsession with gambling
an obsession with football
caused by an obsession e.g.
Losing weight can be an obsession
that results in the avoidance of
certain foods.
OBSESSION
So, when is it love and when is it an obsession?
Do you agree with the comparisons on the next
slide?
Discuss why or why not?
What is the danger of love becoming an
obsession?
The third word in the title of this Thought for the
Week is ‘Agape’.
This is agápē, an ancient Greek word for love -- not standing with your mouth wide open!
(Pronunciation -- uh-GAH-pay)
Here’s a definition:
Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love
A simple way to summarize agape is God's
divine love.
Another meaning of agape in the Bible was "love
feast," a common meal in the early church
expressing Christian brotherhood and
fellowship.
This Greek word, agápē, and variations of it are
frequently found throughout the New Testament.
Agape perfectly describes the kind of love Jesus
Christ has for his Father and for his followers.
Agape is the term that defines God's immeasurable,
incomparable love for humankind. It is his ongoing,
outgoing, self-sacrificing concern for people. God
gives this love without condition, unreservedly to
those who are undeserving and inferior to himself.
"Agape love is unmotivated in the sense that it is not
contingent on any value or worth in the object of
love. It is spontaneous and heedless, for it does not
determine beforehand whether love will be effective
or appropriate in any particular case." Anders Nygren
Christians believe that God sent his son to earth to
save us from our sins. ‘Greater love hath no man
than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”
Jews share the same scripture as Christians that
commands them to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’
Muslims are given instructions in the Quran as to how
to gain the love of Allah.
Reflection:
Thank you for the love that we experience
in our lives.
Please help us to share this experience
with those around us.
Please help us never to give up loving.
Help us always to notice people who need
our care.
Sixth Form Corner
Is there a place for platonic love?
How would you define it?
In what ways might it be a benefit or a problem?
Discuss the quotation on the next slide.
Sixth Form Corner
Sixth Form Corner
Do you agree? Can you add anything?
Sixth Form Corner
Discuss obsessions:
What dangers can you identify that might result from what
is at first a mild obsession?
Exercise and sport are good things, it is proven that they
benefit both our bodies and minds. Can an obsession with
exercise or a particular sport become unhealthy?
Discuss the quotation on the next slide.
Sixth Form Corner
Sixth Form Corner
Reflect on or discuss this verse from the Bible: