What does Love mean to you?

About two weeks ago, I made a video. Originally, it was for a mini competition without my college fellowship. But the video project turned out to be much more than that. For my video, I interviewed random people across the UT campus on a Saturday. In addition, I interviewed some of my own friends. Everyone I asked had a similar response.

No one knew how to answer the question: "What does Love mean to you?"

The majority of these people were college students. The surprising thing was that no one knew how to answer the question. They didn't have a response. The idea or thought of love never crossed their mind. To me, that was sad. But nonetheless, I may have sparked that thought in their head after I left them.

It's sad how so many people don't know what love means to them. My personal experience made me understand how there are so many people without love and kindness within their lives. Just this past week, someone committed suicide on our campus. People are empty. They have a void in themselves and don't know how to fill it up. It breaks my heart.

If people could experience love, then they wouldn't be so depressed, sad, lonely, etc. Love is the theme of our life as human beings. Let me explain from a recent sermon that I listened to by Judah Smith.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

We all know this verse. It represents the face of Christianity. But I want to shine some light on this in a different perspective.

For those of you who have read through the new testament, "the world" is not a good thing. It has a negative connotation. World = Bad. 

But look at this verse. God SO LOVED the world. He didn't just love it. He SO LOVED it. Let me illustrate this idea.

Judah Smith gave an example about a parent(s) and his/her child. Remember the times when your parent(s) would just embarrass you in public? Think about that dad or mom at his/her child's soccer game. That parent is screaming, cheering, yelling at the refs for bad calls for his/her child. That parent is OBSESSED with his/her child.

God is OBSESSED with the world. Why? He created it. He created you in His image. He is obsessed with you.

But wait a second. I thought "the world" is a bad thing? According to the way it's used in the new testament, "the world" is evil, chaotic, hurtful, disgusting, etc. Yeah you're right. God is OBSESSED with the world. Let's continue on in the verse.

So God is obsessed with this evil, disgusting, bad, chaotic thing. What does he do? He gives up his one and ONLY son just to forgive the world. But look what it says after... that WHOEVER. God gave up His son for the world, and He leaves this gift on the table. You can take it or leave it. WHAT?!

How does that make ANY SENSE?! God went through all this trouble to give a gift, and He leaves it for WHOEVER?? God knows some people will reject Him. But He still LOVES THE ONES WHO REJECT HIM.
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In the Greek Bible, there are two forms of "love". Philia and Agape.

• Philia is the love that we refer to. It is a reciprocated love. Philia is why people get married. You love your spouse, and he/she loves you back.

• Agape is unconditional love. It is one way. It doesn't matter how the other party responds. No matter what, that love is there.

No matter what you do, He won't stop loving you. You can reject Him. He'll still love you. You're broken, flawed, corrupt, and sinful. He'll still love you. So stop trying to fix yourself up. Just give yourself up to Him because He accepts you and loves you. God's love is Agape.

PS: I probably butchered the summary of the sermon. So if you want to listen to the whole thing, just message me, and I'll send you the link! God bless!