Disinterested love. The adjective "disinterested" sounds a little like "apathetic", "lathargic", "passive". The adjective, as it is used, however, is anything but these things. Disinterested love is defined as follow, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his Strength to Love:
For Dr. King, the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ was agape αγάπη, disinterested love, and it was infused with a necessary love for one's fellow man. Agape, "unconditional love" is identified by King as "understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. An overwhelming love which seeks nothing in return, agape is the love of God operating in the human breast. When Jesus bids us to love our enemies, he is speaking of agape. Only by following this way, and responding with this type of love, are we able to be the children of our Father who is in heaven." [from Strength to Love]
Disinterested love is a love that is not extended to another because he/she merits that love. In fact, the person to whom love is extended may not "DESERVE" the love at all--the one to whom love is extended may be incredibly selfish, hateful, vengeful, jealous, mean spirited, etc. Disinterested love is not extended in order to receive anything back. I have often heard of romantic love described as transactions: "If you give me this, I'll give you that. If you rub my feet, I'll rub your back. If you stop brining home a paycheck, I'm outta here" Perhaps romantic love is like this because it requries RELATIONSHIP. LOVE AND RELATIONSHIP are two very, very different things.
AGAGE, or Disinterested love, can happen even when there is no relationship. I have chosen to love a couple of people with whom I just cannot have a relationship. The level of mutual and reciprocal respect, care, concern, and investment is not there. Agape is the highest, purest form of love because one can truly care for the greatest spiritual, emotional, personal development of another without having a relationship. It is the love of God. It is pure. It is rare. It would spare us many of the wars and violence we see across the globe. It would make our communities more peaceful. It would help us to forgive those who hurt us.
funny, I came across the word "agape" this week, which at first glance at this post I read "agape" instead of "agage" -- anyway, agape is the Greek word for Love.... el amor in greek... and my mind refused to cooperate today and instead read: "love" everytime you typed "agage" and as i read all i could imagine is the pulse of a strong love-- the kind that makes you fly.
ReplyDeleteI'd say this was a random comment, but I believe so little in "random."
xo.
i think you should make an AGAPE piece. It is agape girl...typo made it come out agage. Yeah, random...uh huh.:) xo back at ya.
ReplyDeleteahhh, i read to fast and didn't digest your post as I should or I would have caught that-- but either way, the word "agape" is jumping out at me this week in the most "random"(TIFF I REALLY thought agage was another word--wasnt trying to call you out--i iz the queen of typos;p) until this week-- and then coming across your post-- i was like look at that--bringing me back to the word. hmm. perhaps I should stamp it.. :)
ReplyDelete*too fast
ReplyDelete(see typo queen-ugh)