“Agape” in all people

While I was finding quotes from other religions, I decided to post them in my other blog: www.agapeworker.wordpress.com 

When I got 37 of them posted and then re-read them, I began to realize that the spiritual power referred to in Christianity with the Greek word, agape, is not limited to Christians, but is created in such a way that it’s in everyone, but with different words used to reference it. So I was able to see that when the famous theologian Paul Tillich said that in agape “ultimate reality manifests itself and transforms life and love,” he was speaking in universal terms. 

I understood Tillich to mean that the spiritual manifestation given to everyone through ultimate reality was agape, and so that manifestation has the potential of transforming all life and universal love. Such is the ultimate power of agape over all life and all love everywhere. But with all spiritual reality for humans, there is a catch. That catch involves freedom. Which means that the responsibility is placed on us. To transform the potentiality into actuality, we have to respond.

So if we can act in such a way as to allow agape power to come alive for us and for our relationships with those around us, then we can let agape transform us. This possibility is available to all.

To me, that is what Thomas Merton was referring to when he said, “Only agape can attain and preserve the good of all.”

As I have continued to reflect about that, the universal meaning has become increasingly important for my understanding of what the access to agape can do for solving the problems that are causing such destructive consequences for human interaction and international conflicts.

Short “Agape” insights from M.L. King, P. Tillich, and T. Merton

When I reflected on, and was moved by, the amazing inspiration from Martin L. King, Paul Tillich, and Thomas Merton, some of the insights stood out as more helpful than others, so what follows is a collection of those special insights.
      “When Jesus bids us to love our enemies, he is speaking neither of eros nor philia, he is speaking of agape, understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. An overflowing love which seeks nothing in return, agape is the love of God operating in the human heart. At this level, we love men not because we like them, nor because their ways appeal to us, nor even because they possess some type of divine spark; we love every man because God loves him. At this level, we love the person who does an evil deed, although we hate the deed that he does. Now we can see what Jesus meant when he said, ‘Love your enemies.’ Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must have agape for our enemies — or else? The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. Only by following this way and responding with this type of love are we able to be children of our Father who is in heaven.
      “When I speak of agape I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Agape is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality.” 
                                                         …Martin Luther King

      “Agape enters from another dimension into the whole of life and into all qualities of love. One could call agape the depth of love or love in relation to the ground of life. One could say that in agape ultimate reality manifests itself and transforms life and love. Agape seeks the other one in his center. Agape sees him as God sees him.”  …Paul Tillich

      “To serve the God of agape one must be free, one must face the terrible responsibility of the decision to share agape in spite of all unworthiness whether in oneself or in one’s neighbor.
      “Only agape can attain and preserve the good of all.
      “My true identity lies hidden in God’s call to my freedom and my response to God. This means I must use my freedom in order to share agape, with full responsibility and authenticity, not merely receiving a form imposed on me by external forces, or forming my own life according to an approved social pattern but directing my agape to the personal reality of my brother, and embracing God’s will in its naked, often impenetrable mystery.” …Thomas Merton

And now here are a few of the scripture quotes that inspired the above quotes:
      “I give you a new commandment: have agape for each other. Just as I have agapan you, so you also must agapao each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you have agape for each other.” (Jn. 13:35)

      “Neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the agape of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:39)

      “Agape puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. Agape never fails. … Now faith, hope, and agape remain -- these three things -- and the greatest of these is agape.” (1 Cor. 13:13)