Page 42 - May-June-July Life In Naples Magazine

JIM ANGLE FIRESIDE CHAT MARK LLEWELLYN EVANS SINGS TO THE ROMANTIC AUDIENCE UNDER THE STARS

Agape Advocates: Sharing the Love

W hat is love? This phrase was Google’s “top search queries” in 2012; but by 2014, WAYNE SMITH & LOIS BOLIN
Robin Williams and the World Cup were on the minds of those “scuba diving”the Life in Naples | May • June • July 2015
Internet. (Note to self: saying surfing the Internet makes one terminally uncool.)

SO WHAT IS LOVE?

Since the ancient Greeks, we have struggled with the nature of love which is still defined
(more of less) by four types. Phileo refers to brotherly love and is based on common
interests or personalities, while Eros turns inward for a self-serving type of love. Storage is
a family type love followed by Agape, the kind of love C. S. Lewis referred to in The Four
Loves describes the highest level of love known to humanity – a selfless love passionately
committed to the well-being of the other.

KIDS SAY THE ‘DARNDEST’ THINGS

To simplify love’s definition, I took some time to “scuba-dive the Internet” to see if
budding Socratic scholars, under the age of seven, could shed some light on the mystery and
meaning of love:

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you’ve left him alone all day.
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name
is safe in their mouth.
Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.

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