What's the Difference?

What's the difference? These are words I hear from my granddaughter, Amelia, often when we talk. Her seven year old mind is trying to make sense of the finer differences and nuances of the English language. I hope she has better luck than I have with that endeavor. A recent conversation was about murder versus killing. Now before you thinking that is an awful dark conversation to be having with a sweet, seven-year-old girl, she was given the opportunity to read scripture for the children's church production this week it was Exodus 20:13 "Thou shall not murder."


It is said, that truly conversing in the English language is hard for people when it is not their first language. We have regionalized, jumbled it and changed meaning and translations of the original "King's English" so much that is almost impossible to know what is truly meant. Also, we add new words every year. there were 535 new words added to the Webster's dictionary for 2020. Some of our new words are: WFH, the acronym for working from home, social-distancing, self-isolate, deep-fake and my personal favorite, "awesome sauce."

I guess we are learning from the Greeks. We only have one word for "love." They have (depending on who you ask) eight; eros, phileō, ludas, storgē, agapē, pragma, philautia, mania. Americans? We just have love. So I love my husband, I love my dogs, and I love coffee. Hmmmmm I will not rank those right now. 

Since I opened the door on love talk, let's talk love. In scripture when speaking of the holy love God has for us, the word used mostly is agapē; unconditional, selfless, gentle caring sort of love. The other "loves" range in definition from erotic, to friendship, to playful and uncommitted, to obligatory love, long standing, to even self-love and obsessive love. But agapē stand out from those. And it is the word chosen in Matthew 22 to describe the love we are commanded and encouraged to have for others. 

Love God and to love others by being selfless, gentle, caring and that love hold no strings attached. It was certainly easy to type that definition, but to live it is different. What's the difference you ask? As I study I see that neighbor (plesion in Greek) means "any other person where two are concerned, according to Christ, any other person irrespective of nation or religion with who we have the chance to meet." That is a whole bunch of people. In fact, I can't think of anyone that would be excluded from that list. 

Amelia and Ella - they love each other!

So, Amelia, the difference is that God asks us to be gentle and caring for ALL people, putting their needs first, no matter what they do, or don't do for us or to us. While our version of love only asks us to have an intense feeling or deep affection for someone.

Is this a difference we can live by, or more importantly, live with? 

Today

• Practice agapē
• Maybe even practice phileō (friendship)
• Have a blessed and holy Sunday
• And remember, I love you!