This came about as I just free form wrote about what is Love. There are all different kinds of love- self love, love of family, love of friends and that significant other, love of hobbies/work, etc. These all involve our emotions. However, I was journaling about agape love. The kind where God says love your enemies. How do you love the unloveable? All the other loves involve emotion, but agape love involves a choice and an action (not emotion). If we say we love God, then we have to obey God and love ( show kindness and compassion to) the unloveable. This takes a lot of prayer to be able to put this kind of love in action. Done with watercolor and magic maker.
To me agape love is very emotional... I am often moved more by the plight of the unloveable. Although I may fear my enemies, I can't help but feel love and forgiveness for what made them that way. I always get in trouble for seeing the other side, even when I don't agree with things that have happened. Great page!!
ReplyDeleteOh this is good stuff! I am excited to see even more of your work! Loving the unlovable.. that is what we all should strive to do. Thanks for sharing!! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat page. I love all the different insights you share.
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky to have one or two that know my unlovable parts and moments and from whom I sense a true constant unconditional love. Great strength is required to not to judge, compare, label, create right and wrong categories. Your stream-of-thought and color experimentation combine to make a meaning journal page!
ReplyDeleteNice page. I think there even comes a time when you have to CHOOSE to love your life partner as the feeling of first love fades under the stress of life. Maybe for some that comes on the wedding day but for others it comes later (for me at about 10 years into our marriage). You are right on though that agape isn't about how good you feel.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think you have to choose to love your life partner every day. I'm glad that after 20 years, my husband still wakes up in the morning & chooses to continue down this path with me, just as I choose him each day.
ReplyDeleteGreat page -- thanks for sharing!
Cindy Ericsson
Ramona
ReplyDeleteAgape - God's All Encompassing Love -
It always seemed to me to be our ability to recognize that what is pure within each of us remains pure, even if we choose to walk away from it. We can always turn back.
In working out images for the Feelings Series, I remembered one of my favorite pieces, and thought you might like it as well ...
"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, 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."
I Corinthians 13:4-8
Ramona, this is a powerful topic, and a great sketch. It's great that you put your thoughts on a page. I like what you said about agape love being a CHOICE.
ReplyDeleteJust like forgiveness, which ties in with this. You may never forget what horrible thing a person has done to you or your loved ones, but God does ask you to FORGIVE. That is also a CHOICE. People also think this means you must also FORGET, or deny your emotions, and God does not ask that. You could NEVER forget that trauma and the emotions that go with it, but you could one day be on the road to emotional recovery by forgiving.
That too, is very much like agape love. Could be the same thing actually.
Whoa, sorry, didn't mean to get so deep into this *sheepishly stepping off soap box now*