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INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.

Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, welcomed Lori Keesey to provide another commentary in a series.

The Lori Keesey Commentaries

I bet tons of you were thinking about eros on Valentine’s Day. I’d even bet some of you forgot the holiday and then had to rush to CVS or Walgreens, only to find ransacked shelves and slim pickings, dog-eared cards no one would want to buy.

Today—10 days after Hallmark’s favorite holiday—I challenge you to consider another form of love.

Agape.

Unlike in English, the Greek language has a plethora of words to convey humankind’s most basic emotion: eros (passionate), mania (obsessive), ludus (flirty), philia (brotherly) and storge (familial).

Of these, agape is the highest form … and certainly the most difficult to live out.

It’s the opposite of the hatefulness seen everywhere these days. Need examples? Let’s start here:

Don’t like someone’s political or religious beliefs? Call that person a hater.

Don’t agree with another’s lifestyle? Condemn … self-righteously as if your choices are above reproach.

Think someone is beneath you, unworthy of your attention or help? Ignore that man or woman. And move on. Fast.

The lack of agape love displays itself daily, resulting in division, resentment, broken relationships, and, yes, even hatred for those who don’t look, act, and believe like you or me.

How many of you have been defriended? How many of you have defriended someone else? And why did you do it? Why do you listen to people who foster discord?

I ask myself this all the time.

Agape in Practice

So, what is agape love? In practice?

It is selfless, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure. It gives itself freely, without demanding something in return. It’s never possessive or jealous, controlling or manipulative.

Agape love isn’t a feeling. It’s a choice. Action. Take Mother Theresa for example. The poverty she witnessed as a young woman motivated her to work among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta.

Another is the Good Samaritan.

As told in this parable, a traveler, presumably Jewish, is stripped of his clothing, beaten, and left for dead alongside the road. A Jewish priest and then a Levite pass by. Both avoid him. But the Samaritan stops, even though his people historically detested the Jews. Only he shows compassion for his fellow man.

And, of course, this commentary would be remiss if it didn’t include Jesus.

Whether you believe in his divinity is beside the point. The New Testament is filled with stories of Jesus’s selflessness. His willingness to associate with and defend tax collectors, prostitutes, and adulterers—the degenerates of his day—serves as a model for how Christians should view humanity.

What a Different Place it Would Be

Even if you have no grounding in the Christian faith, shouldn’t agape principles shape your attitudes and behaviors too? Shouldn’t everyone strive to respect and give more freely to others who aren’t like us?

We don’t have to agree with certain behaviors or viewpoints. If you’re guided by deeply felt values, hold fast to them. But that doesn’t give you license to judge and condemn either. My job and yours is to treat others the way we want to be treated.

Imagine a world where we all practiced agape love. What a different place it would be.

It’s not about eros.

Author/Blogger Lori Keesey discovered her passion for writing at age six, when she wrote and illustrated a very short story about three puppies lost in a hatbox. Her first-grade teacher loved it and encouraged her to continue writing.

Many years later, the study of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird rekindled her interest. So captivated by Harper’s young protagonist, Scout, Lori wanted to create characters just as engaging as this spunky little girl. Years passed—and hundreds, if not thousands, of novels were read—before Lori realized her goal. Her debut novel, The Difference He Made, is scheduled to release in late 2023.

Lori writes a weekly blog—“The Accidental Blogger”—that spotlights men and women who overcome adversity and has authored two short stories, “Robert’s Prayer” and “The Note.” Both stories and a host of other gifts are free to those who subscribe to her monthly letter.

To subscribe and learn more about Lori, go to www.lorikeesey.com.