Valentine's Day is a touchy subject for
some of us. We've been trained to focus so solely on the romantic
side of love that it becomes increasingly difficult to bear under the
weight of deferred expectations each and every year. But there is
more than one kind of love to celebrate.
In his book, The Four Loves, C. S.
Lewis describes four different types of love: Affection, or brotherly
love; Friendship, or the bond between people with common interests;
Romantic love, that sexual feeling of being in love; and Agape,
Unconditional love, the kind that loves regardless of the
circumstances.
Our world is craving love. In an age
where we can be anonymously hateful toward others without ever having
to look them in the eye, where children are being mercilessly bullied
(sometimes by adults) to the point of suicide, where young men (and
women) feel the only solution is to go on a shooting spree, we are
desperate for love.
Though my hair is getting gray, I still
can't say that I'm old enough to know much. But this I do know: people don't change if they're being scorned, or mocked, or hated, or
ridiculed, or looked down on. People don't change because they have
been harnessed with laws and legislations. Many people don't even
changed when their very lives are threatened. Only one thing ignites real change:
Love.
I should know. It changed me.
This Valentine's Day, I want to
encourage you to celebrate something more than romantic love. Let
this post sit with you for a while today. Imagine how you can
embody love for family, friends, neighbors, strangers, whoever comes
to your mind. Be wild and extravagant. It's love, after all.
If you need a suggestion, I'd love to
help you brainstorm ideas. I love love!
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