The Journey towards Love

It is our duty, therefore, to be faithful to God, pure in heart, merciful and kind, just and holy; for these things imprint in us the outlines of the Divine likeness, and perfect us as heirs of eternal life.

- St Cyril of Alexandria
 
The whole of time is a festival for Christians, because of the abundance of good things that have been given. . . The Son of God was made man for you; He freed you from death and called you to a kingdom. Therefore, you who have obtained and are still obtaining such things, how can it be less than your duty to keep the feast all your life? Let no one then be downcast about poverty, and disease, and craft of enemies. For it is a festival, even the whole of our time. For this reason Paul said: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.”

- St. John Chrysostom
 
For this reason, admiring the greatness of your condescension, I blended my fear with affection, and from these two, fear and affection, I created a single thing, love, made up of modesty and benevolence, in such manner that a fear devoid of affection did not become hatred, nor did an affection not joined to a prudent fear become presumption, but on the contrary that love be shown to be an immanent law of devotedness which harmonizes whatever is related by nature. By benevolence it masters hatred, and by reverence it pushes away presumption. Realizing that it (that is, fear) confirms divine love more than anything else, the blessed David has said, “The fear of the Lord is chaste and remains from age to age.” He well knew that this fear is different from the fear which consists of being afraid of punishments for faults of which we are accused, since for one thing this (fear of punishment) disappears completely in the presence of love, as the great evangelist John shows somewhere in his words, “Love drives out fear.” For another thing, the former (fear of the Lord) naturally characterizes the law of true concern; it is through reverence that the saints keep forever completely uncorrupted the law and mode of life of love toward God and toward each other.

- St. Maximus the Confessor
 
For what use is existence to the creature if he cannot know his Maker? How could men be reasonable beings if they had no knowledge of the Word and Reason of the Father through whom they had received their being? They would be no better than the beasts, had they no knowledge except of earthly things; and why should God have made them at all, if He had not intended them to know Him? But, in fact, the good God has given them a share in His own image, that is, in our Lord Jesus Christ, and has made even themselves after the same image and likeness. Why? Simply in order that through this gift of God-likeness in themselves they may be able to perceive the Absolute Image, that is the Word Himself, and through Him to apprehend the Father, which knowledge of their Maker is for men the only really happy and blessed life.

- St. Athanasius the Great
 
TER, I'm pretty sure the last couple pages of this thread are the virtual equivalent of talking to yourself, but it's all cool. :D I'm assuming you're just trying to bump the thread.

Your quotes have kind of been all over the place, so what's your take on the journey towards each form of love (agape, storge, eros, phileo) and at what point would one achieve a godly degree of love? Is there even an achievable destination to this journey?

1 John 4:20 in reference to eros love wouldn't be considered a godly form of love (a brotha lovin' a brotha?) This form of love is also a lot less objective than say the storge love between myself and my cat. I provide her with food, shelter, vet checkups, etc. with the end destination being a long happy and healthy life for my cat. Since humans outlive their pets, they can have an idea of how strong the storge love with their pet was and whether or not an end destination was reached. The same can't exactly be said for the agape love we express to Christ through a life commitment to living for him. Evaluation of this form of life is left to Christ on judgement day and even then, our love for Christ will live on, so can we really say there is a destination beyond expressing such love in the afterlife? Just a thought... :confused:
 
Thank you for the interesting question! And for your comment in the beginning of the post! (I thought I've been talking to myself for at least the last ten pages! :D )

The second comment you make about me 'just bumping the thread' is inaccurate, however. I assure you my goal is not to "just bump" this thread (I would have simply wrote 'bump' like I always do), but rather to share with all my friends here some beautiful and profound quotes about God's love and how we can find it.

I admit, the posts at times have been all over the place. But the main theme I wished to keep was the theme of our duties as Christians and the suffering and sacrifice required to crucify our own passions and put on Christ our God.

The main point I started out the thread was on forgiveness and love of our enemies. From there it spread to other themes in the same vein, such as mercy, charity, etc.).

But anyway, that I hope answers some of your questions.

As for the other excellent questions:

what's your take on the journey towards each form of love (agape, storge, eros, phileo) and at what point would one achieve a godly degree of love? Is there even an achievable destination to this journey?
Click to expand...

The Holy Fathers of the Church describe three types of love and not four (although the three do include what the fourth is). Namely, agape, eros and philia.

Here is a short summation:

The first definition of love as agape is love as the action of perfect goodness for the sake of the other. This is the most basic meaning of love: to do everything possible for the well-being of others. God Himself has this love as the very content of His being and life, for “God is agape.” It is with this love that spiritual per- sons must love first of all.

The second definition of love as eros is love for the sake of union with the other. Erotic love is no sin when it is free from sinful passions. It can be the utterly pure desire for communion with the other, including God. All spiritual writers have insisted that such love should exist between God and man as the pattern for all erotic love in the world between husband and wife. (See Sexuality, Marriage, and Family) Thus the mystical writers and spiritual fathers have used the Old Testament’s Song of Songs as the poetic image of God’s love for man and man’s love for God. (Philo the Jew, Gregory of Nyssa, Bernard of Clairvaux, John of the Cross, Richard Rolle in England, et al.) Indeed the prophets have used the image of erotic love in explaining the Lord’s relation with Israel. (Isaiah 54; Jeremiah 2-3,31; Ezekiel 16; Hosea) And Saint Paul uses this image for Christ’s love of the Church. (Ephesians 6) In the scriptures, the union of man with the Lord in the Kingdom of God is primarily revealed in the image of eros. (Matthew 22, Revelation 19-22)

...for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted to her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8)

“Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:9)

The third type of love is friendship - phila. This also should exist between man and God. Man has no greater friend than God, and God Himself wants to be man’s friend. According to the scriptures, the very purpose of the coming of Christ was to dispel all enmity between God and man, and to establish the co-working of Creator and creature in the fellowship of friendship.

Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. (Exodus 33:11)

Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants (or slaves), for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you. (John 15: 13-15)

So it is that love as goodness, love as union, love as friendship are all to be found in God and man, between God and man, and between human beings. There is no form of true love which lays outside the realm of the spiritual life.

In summation: The Kingdom of Heaven is our destination, for this is what God has prepared for those who love Him. And this love we strive for and live for. It is the love we we find power from and strength in. To reach it, we must make it a journey of love! For this is the way Christ taught us! This is the way to God and union with God. It is the way of redemption and salvation!
 
Last edited:
How mistaken are those people who seek happiness outside of themselves, in foreign lands and journeys, in riches and glory, in great possessions and pleasures, in diversions and vain things, which have a bitter end! In the same thing to construct the tower of happiness outside of ourselves as it is to build a house in a place that is consistently shaken by earthquakes. Happiness is found within ourselves, and blessed is the man who has understood this. Happiness is a pure heart, for such a heart becomes the throne of God. Thus says Christ of those who have pure hearts: "I will visit them, and will walk in them, and I will be a God to them, and they will be my people." (II Cor. 6:16) What can be lacking to them? Nothing, nothing at all! For they have the greatest good in their hearts: God Himself!

- St. Nektarios of Aegina
 
TER said:
Thank you for the interesting question! And for your comment in the beginning of the post! (I thought I've been talking to myself for at least the last ten pages! :D )
Click to expand...

Doesn't mean no one reads them! I think it's obvious by all the reps I've given you in this thread that your posts are very much appreciated :)
 
The soul that loves God has its rest in God and in God alone. In all the paths that men walk in in the world, they do not attain peace until they draw nigh to hope in God.

- St. Isaac the Syrian
 
Truth is not a thought, not a word, not a relationship between things, not a law. Truth is a Person. It is a Being which exceeds all beings and gives life to all. If you seek truth with love and for the sake of love, she will reveal the light of His face to you inasmuch as you are able to bear it without being burned.

- St. Nicholas of Serbia
 
The Lord loves all people, but He loves those who seek Him even more. To his chosen ones the Lord gives such great grace that for love they forsake the whole earth, the whole world, and their souls burn with desire that all people might be saved and see the glory of the Lord.

- St. Silouan the Athonite
 
As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience.

- St. Basil the Great
 
Cleanse your mind from anger, remembrance of evil, and shameful thoughts, and then you will find out how Christ dwells in you.

- St. Maximus the Confessor
 
The Lord wants us to love one another. Here is freedom: in love for God and neighbor. In this freedom, there is equality. In earthly orders, there may not be equality, but this is not important for the soul. Not everyone can be a king, not everyone a patriarch or a boss. But in any position it is possible to love God and to please Him, and only this is important. And whoever loves God more on earth will be in greater glory in His Kingdom.

-St. Silouan the Athonite,
 
The chief end of our life is to live in communion with God. To this end the Son of God became incarnate, in order to return us to this divine communion, which was lost by the fall into sin. Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we enter into communion with the Father and thus attain our purpose.

- St. Theophan the Recluse
 
With all your power, ask the Lord for humility and brotherly love, because God freely gives His grace for love towards one's brother. Do an experiment on yourself: one day ask God for love towards your brother, and another day - live without love. You will see the difference.

- St. Silouan the Athonite
 
A Christian must be courteous to all. His words and deeds should breath with the grace of the Holy Spirit, which abides in his soul, so that in this way he might glorify the name of God. He who regulates all of his speech also regulates all of his actions. He who keeps watch over the words he is about say also keeps watch over the deeds he intends to do, and he never goes out of the bounds good and benevolent conduct. The graceful speech of a Christian is characterized by delicateness and politeness. This fact, born of love, produces peace and joy. On the other hand, boorishness gives birth to hatred, enmity, affliction, competitiveness, disorder and wars.

- St. Nektarius of Aegina
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Historicist View of Bible Prophecy, in Particular Regarding Anti-Christ and Mark of the Beast
2
Replies
32
Views
463
redmod79
R
jmdrake
When Jehovah allowed a Molech like child sacrifice
Replies
19
Views
92
jmdrake
jmdrake
Voluntarist
John Lodge (of Moody Blues Fame) passes
Replies
5
Views
41
Liberty_Tree
Liberty_Tree
PAF
The Axiom of Action and the Inescapability of Liberty
Replies
3
Views
90
ClaytonB
ClaytonB
ClaytonB
Yes, the church of Jesus is the extreme right-wing
Replies
14
Views
594
acptulsa
acptulsa
Back
Top