What is love? Is love a “fiery passion taking over the hearts of enamored humans?” Is it “sacrificing life and limb for other people?” Love is so hard to define it is broad, intangible. The English language lack the words to accurately define love, however in the Greek language, there are 8 types of the word love. The first type is Eros love, or a romantic, passionate love. The second is Phileo love, or a deep friendship, brotherly love. The third type is Ludus, or playful love. The fourth is Agape love, or unconditional love, love for everyone. Pragma love is the fifth love, meaning long-lasting love, the sixth is Philautia, or love of self. The seventh is storge (familial love) and the eighth is mania or obsessive love. There are so many types of love in the greek language. Unfortunately, because we lack the words in english, we abuse the one word we do have, love. We say “I love pizza,” or “I love ice cream,” or “I love soccer,” or “I love math!” Just kidding… no one says that last one. But seriously, love is so much more than food or sports, and it’s definitely more than math. Love is choosing your partner over anything you could have and would want. Love is choosing your partner over anything that is superficially better. Love is staying with that person through the poverty, through the sickness, through all of the situations, not just the bad times. Loving your partner is putting them second. Why second, you might be asking yourself, that’s contradictory to everything you just said. There is a good reason that I will put my future husband second, and I hope he will do the same with me. Loving them is putting God first, and hoping that they do the same for you so that both of you can spend an eternity in Heaven with God. It is more important to love God and put God first than to put your husband first. This is loving God, and loving your husband.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a Spanish fanatic. I love speaking it, hearing it, singing along with the Spanish alphabet (it’s seriously cool, go look it up). In Spanish, there are 3 ways to say “I love…” Two of these types are directed at other people. “Te quiero” is I love you familiarly. To say “te quiero madre,” means “I love you, mom!” but to say “te amo, mi amor,” means “I love you, my love.” The last kind is towards objects or items. “Me encanta fútbol,” means “I love soccer.” This makes the differences in love so much easier to understand. Te amo. I am choosing you over any other romance. Te quiero. I am choosing you over any other friendship. Me encanta. I am choosing this thing over all of the other things. We need to stop overusing the word Love in English. Yes, you like soccer, but you love your mom. Stop abusing that word, and when you say it, mean it. Overusing this word can hurt people around you and you yourself.
God Loves You.
Dios Le Ama.
ο Θεός σε αγαπά.
