Agape in Marianne Williamson's "The Gift of Change"

Because of how important spiritual love (which I changed to 'agape' in accordance with biblical tradition) is to the writings of Marianne Williamson, I divided the quotes from her book, The Gift of Change, into 2 postings:

      "Agape is the only absolute reality, which never changes and never dies. Dwelling in that which does not change, while things around us are changing all the time, is our key to inner peace.
      "Many of us believe in a powerful agape, an awesome agape so aligned with God that it will change all things.

“Every encounter is a holy encounter if we use it to demonstrate agape.

“God’s agape is everywhere, but if our eyes aren’t open to see it, we miss out. Our problem is rarely a lack of agape so much as a mental block to our awareness of its presence.

“A new movement of agape is rumbling underneath the surface today. Martin Luther King said we have a “glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of agape into the veins of our civilization.” And all of us can participate in this process. Every single moment, with the nature of our thoughts, we can add to agape’s storehouse in a way that blesses the world.

“Martin Luther King did not stand for sentimental love or popular love or convenient love. God’s agape is often none of these things. And if we are to truly honor Dr. King’s memory, we must strive our best to do as he did — to take a stand for agape even in the face of hate and ridicule.

“The notion that a great wave of agape will be the salvation of the human race is an idea whose time has come. And our willingness to be part of that wave gives a transcendent purpose to our lives.

“A new world awaits all of us, as our minds are healed by agape.

“In any situation there is a focus to our perception. God would have us extend our perception beyond what the physical senses perceive, to the agape that lies beyond. For when we see that agape, we can call it forth.

“We either have faith in agape that is eternally true or faith in the illusions of the ego.

“Agape is not just a feeling; it is a force. And it is a force that is ultimately more powerful than violence of any kind.

“Our barriers to agape represent a cosmic force, ensconced within the human psyche in a dark and insidious way — holding dominion — temporary though wicked — over the mental functioning of the child of God.

“Through God’s Holy Spirit, God will outwit our self-hatred and return our hearts to agape.

“Once we find the agape within ourselves, calling it forth in our relationships comes much more easily. 

“To God, we are all loved ones. And when we learn to have agape for each other as God’s agape for us all, we will prepare the table for the what we most want.

NEW MIND = “God can dismantle our thought system based on fear and replace it with a thought system based on agape.

“Our holiness — God’s agape within us — is the only way humankind has ever transcended darkness, and it is the only way we ever will. If we can rise above fear in our life and live the agape within us — if that drama is reenacted enough times by enough of the world’s people — then we will pierce the cosmic darkness and tip the world in the direction of light. The movement of the universe is always in the direction of ultimate agape.

“And together, you will change the world.”

Agape in Robert Morris' "Provocative Grace"

The first time I read Robert C. Morris' creative research into the New Testament was in a study group 9 years ago, but when I reread it recently, I realized that parts of his book, Provocative Grace, fit into this section of my blog, where I've been quoting from books that discussed spiritual love.

Although I'll start quoting Morris with the one time when he uses the word 'agape,' I'll follow that one-time quote with quotes where he uses 'love' in a spiritual way that the meaning is 'agape,' and I'll change the word to 'agape.'

      "Jesus calls us toward agape, a broader form of love that intentionally seeks the well-being of others simply because they are fellow creatures.
      "Our overall goal is clear: participation in the compassionate Agape of God, by whose power we can have agape for ourselves, others, and all of life with wisdom, skill, and grace.
      "Jesus wants to spur us into a maturity that can collaborate with the Agape that gave us birth. This Agape seeks partners in making real 'the kingdom' or reign of God which heals the hurts and develops the life of this world.
      "Jesus invited people then and now to see the world in a wholly new way, through different eyes: as a place where God's own powerful agape for the world itself, for all that makes and keeps life holy, is meant to be the central passion of human life. As we let this agape have its way with our personal and communal life, he said, we begin to enter, here and now, on earth, the realm of God's active grace.

      “The man from Nazareth saw earthly life with heaven’s eyes, and he invites us to have agape for each other, earth, and all earth’s creatures with heaven’s agape, God’s own just and merciful agape. As we live into the agape at the heart of Jesus’ halavah, our actions more and more reveal that we are Wisdom’s ‘children,’ offspring of the very agape that shaped the world and our deepest nature. This agape was the driving force of his life and the center of his message.

      “To speak of love can sound shallow and sentimental if we think that the power of soul is simply a pleasant emotion, [but] the agape Jesus received and gave is not only warm and comforting but challenging and purifying, both food and medicine for the human heart, like the sunshine that both strengthens unfolding plants and destroys mildew.

      “This divinely sourced agape, a reflection of God’s own declaration that the creation is ‘very good,’ is the flame at the core of our being.

       "In its more extraordinary forms, agape drives forgiveness after deep injury, and for those quite different from us, and can even open our heart to the humanity of an enemy.

       “Before all else, agape is the capacity to see everyone and everything as interconnected, ‘held together’ in one cosmic embrace.

       “Because behavior that crafts the soul toward ever fuller experiences of agape is so central to fully functional human life, Jesus makes it the central commandment or challenge of his message.

       “Agape is not only power of the psyche or soul, but it’s meant to rule all the rest.

        “Jesus’ command takes his apprentices into a training course in agape.

        “Jesus invites us to learn agape for our whole self by letting agape flow to every part of us.

       “The path of wisdom embodies all the ways the mysterious Agape that shapes the universe has befriended the human race and desires each human’s God-like potential to flourish.”

Agape in GARY CHAPMAN’s “Love as a Way of Life”

In those places where Gary Chapman uses ‘love’ to convey a spiritual meaning, in his book Love as a Way of Life, I changed ‘love’ to ‘agape.’ The clear illustration for why I can make this change is shown in the following first quote.

      "It is God's agape that we seek to share, not a love manufactured on our own. It is God's Spirit who pours agape into us and enables us to give to others.
      “Agape will follow us into eternity. In a world gone mad with greed and hate, how wonderful to know agape never ends — and what a privilege to be able to show agape to other people every day.

      “When we welcome others in agape, no matter what they have done, we demonstrate the agape of God — that changes lives.

      “Generosity comes not from a desire to be rewarded but from having agape for others. It is a spiritual paradox that when we give away what God gives us, we open ourselves to receive more blessing from God.

      “The only way to make sharing agape with people a habit that flows naturally from your soul is through God’s power.

      “Agape brings out our authentic selves.

      “Everyone of us has the potential to extend agape to others. Agape gives the opportunity to discover a deeper joy than ordinary ways the world can give.

      “One of the great things about living through agape is that it brings healing to our souls and bodies. Several scientific studies have shown that acting kindly {through sharing agape} has physical and mental health benefits.

      “When all is said and done, the most satisfied older adults are those who have invested their lives in sharing agape.

     “When we realize agape is primarily an action, we are ready to use the tools we have to better share in the flow of agape.

      “Sometimes it is in the midst of difficulty that we find our greatest opportunities to experience and share agape.

      “To become a more loving person, you need to acknowledge to yourself and to God that you fall into unloving habits and you want to change. Be as specific as possible when you pray.

      “As you get older, you see how much more there is to do in your soul before agape can flow through you authentically.

      “Not only does sharing agape stand a chance in this world, but in fact it is our only chance. If we can come to respect one another as fellow human beings who need one another and choose to look out for one another’s well-being, the potential for good is unlimited. If we fail to do so, we shall lose our dignity and we shall use the technological advances of the last fifty years to destroy one another.

      “Agape is not only realistic but our only hope of survival.

{But} “the part of our nature that puts our own well-being above that of others could be considered our false self. The ego-centered pull of this false self is so pervasive that it has become a way of life for many.

      “When we make a decision to share agape, our desire to grow in agape and show our true selves begins to flow more naturally from our transformed hearts.

      “Our role is to open our hearts and minds daily to receive and share agape and to look for opportunities to continue the flow of agape. The more we do this, the more easily we share agape with others.

      {KINDNESS = 1st KEY TO TRANSFORMING EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE:} “The irony is that making kindness a way of life brings great joy not only to others but also to ourselves. When we are kind no matter what, we see what a difference everyday choices make.

      “The true authentic self of agape says, ‘I’ll be kind to you regardless of how you treat me.’

      “We’re talking about kindness flowing from agape.

      “Your commitment to agape calls on you to act and think in a different way.

      “When you release the person who has wronged you, recognize your own failure in the situation, and seek to extend agape to the offender, you will be liberated to go on with your life and use your time and energy in a constructive way.

      “One overarching calling is to enrich the lives of others by making agape the fundamental purpose of our lives.

      “The greatest thing in the world is sharing agape. Nothing will bring greater satisfaction to your life, in time and eternity, than giving and receiving agape.”

Agapé in Max Lucado’s “A Love Worth Giving”

In order to find deeper insight in selected quotes from Max Lucado’s A Love Worth Giving, I used Lucado’s understanding of spiritual love to change ‘love’ to ‘agape’ in the following quotes:

      “Would we share agape as God shares agape? Then we start by receiving God’s agape. “May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous agape.” {Ephesians 3:17}

      “John urges us to “rely on the agape God has for us.” {1 Jn. 4:16}

      “Agape cares for others because God has cared for us. Because God had agape for us first, agape responds. Because God was gracious, agape forgives the mistake when the offense is high. Agape offers patience when stress is abundant and extends kindness when kindness is rare.

      “We have no thermostatic impact on agape; [whereas] our love depends on the receiver of the love; and our love will be regulated by their appearance, by their personalities. Not so with the agape of God. God’s agape is born from within God, not what God finds in us. Agape is uncaused and spontaneous.

      “The abundance of our love does not increase agape. The lack of our love does not diminish agape. Our goodness does not enhance agape, nor does our weakness dilute agape.

      “To be more loving begin by accepting your place as a dearly loved child. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of agape, just as Christ shared agape with us.” {Ephesians 5:1-2}

      “Many people tell us to love. Only God gives us the power to do so.

      “You have a deep aquifer of agape from which to draw. When you find it hard to love, then  you need a drink! Drink deeply! Drink daily!

      “Drink deeply of God’s agape for you — [that] fills your heart with agape worth giving. Agape enables you to put others before yourself, and be quick to applaud the success of others.

       “We will receive first so we can give later. We will drink deeply from heaven’s endless agape. And when we do, we will discover agape worth giving.”

“Agapé” Quotes from Various Authors

A new approach to the way I search for the meaning of agapé began 7 years ago. I gathered quotes from as many authors as I could find. These quotes were entered into a notebook that had a brown, leather cover. 

But as I copied quotes I would alter them whenever I came across the author’s use of the word ‘love’ when I sensed that the word was being used in a spiritual way or had an underlying spiritual meaning. I would change the word to ‘agapé.’ 

As I continued doing that year after year, I began to realize that a profound meaning developed in those quotes. This deepening of understanding helped me become aware of the power of agapé in my life and in my relationships.

At the same time that I was altering quotes from authors, I continued to deepen the meaning of agapé in my own daily meditation exercises and in the actions of living, and relationships. In this combined process I began to find my life being changed as I opened up to an agapic perspective on life. 

Now, I will devote the next 17 posts in this section of my blog as my response to all of that searching. But I’ll start here with only a few quotes before I devote each posting to a lengthy series of quotes from one book. And of course, although the word ‘agape’ is not used, in those places where ‘love’ is used in a spiritual way that the meaning is ‘agape,’ the word was changed to ‘agape.’

     ST. IGNATIUS (from Spiritual Exercises) “Agape is shown more in deeds than in words.”

      In the book, A Year of Living Prayerfully, Jared Brock recorded an interview he had with POPE FRANCIS. The following quote from that interview is from a description of prayerfully holding someone ‘in the light’:

            “I’m excited for what God is going to do in her life. 

            “There’s no more hatred or animosity. Only agape that I could never muster or conjure up on my own. I feel God’s agape toward a former enemy. I feel what Christ felt on the cross.”

      BROTHER LAWRENCE resolved to make agape the end of all his actions.

Meditating with God’s Love

Agapé was the word chosen for “God’s Love” when the Greek manuscripts and letters of the New Testament were put out in the 1st Century. This developed when those followers of Jesus began writing for the Greek speakers who wanted to know about Jesus. They needed to find a new word to express God’s Love to the Greek culture. Paul convinced them to use an ancient word that was almost unknown in those days so it would seem like a new word.

So in the Greek version of the Gospel According to John, the Last Supper teaching from Jesus to his followers includes instructions about agapé. Then the 2 best known places where Paul expanded on the teaching are in Romans and 1st Corinthians. There are many of the postings in this blog that deal specifically with those passages.

Then over the centuries since then, the teachings about agapé gained greater importance as people learned how to let agapé work in their personal lives and relationships. As each culture translated the teachings from Jesus and Paul into various languages, the importance of agapé was kept alive. That is until English speakers in the 19th Century made the mistake of translating ‘agapé’ into ‘love.’ From then on the importance of agapé became lost to English speakers.

The vast devastation of the first half of the 20th Century was followed by a rediscovery of the meaning of agapé. So it is now up to all of us to find the importance of agapé-flow in our life.

As I began to do this in my own daily meditation exercises, living, and relationships, I began to find my life being changed as I let the agapic perspective on life develop for me. Now, I present this blog as my response to all of that.

Agapé and the other Aspects of Reality

Agapé is the solution to dealing with the aspects of reality I described in the following blog page (of course, it’s a page that I wrote and posted before this one). That is possible because we become much more aware of the spiritual aspects of life when we open up to the power of agapé-flow in our life.

So even though modern civilization makes it extremely difficult to accept the other 2 aspects of reality (death and pain) that I wrote about, we are more able to accept them and creatively deal with them because of the spiritual power of agapé. As we work more and more with agapé flowing thru us, opening us up spiritually, then flowing out to enhance our relationships, we learn the hard way to be completely honest about reality.

The way agapé-flow breaks us open to life and makes us more vulnerable, we slowly find our basic perspective on life is profoundly changed. That effects us in ways we never could have imagined. We are able to accept what happens in life — and with people — in ways that come to surprise us when we are able to look back after years of agapé working thru us. And because this only works fully when we practice meditation regularly and in a way that makes us profoundly more aware of the flow of agapé.

By regularly meditating with agapé-flow, we are more deeply able to experience agapé in all aspects of daily life. And such awareness changes our understanding of the pain that comes with life. This awareness helps us learn how to deal with pain, both physical and emotional. And so we gain a perspective that gives our true self the freedom to distinguish the ways in which the conditioning that happened to us early in life caused us to unnecessarily increase suffering. Thru such learning we gain the freedom to deal with pain without increasing our suffering.

And with regularly meditating with agapé, we are able to identify with eternal, creative Essence; and thus to free ourselves from identifying with the false self that became produced by the conditioning that happened to us early in life. The perspective that comes with identifying with eternal, creative Essence allows us to face death in new, more creative ways. And so we slowly find that we easily separate ourselves from the modern world’s obsession with denying death. There is no longer any need to deny death, because we see it from within the flow of agapé and from the perspective of eternal, creative Essence.