Monday, February 11, 2008
LoveI have been asked a troubling question today by my friend. What is love? This question is a stereotypical rant of one that has fallen out of a relationship or have unrequited feelings, a feeling not strange to many of us, even one who has a heart rotted to the core. Since Valentine day is close, it wouldn't be bad to talk about it.
C.S Lewis talks about the four loves: affection, philia(friendship), eros(sexual love) and Agape (Love of God for man). Of all the four loves, the one that tend to be abused the most is eros. This is the love we always refer to, the source of all our troubles and pains. The joys and euphoria it brings is fleeting like the life of a moth drawn to the flame, only to burn up as it becomes one with the source of its attraction. The only purpose of this love is for procreation, the mating response of all creatures. It can be twisted into disorder, a desire for the same sex or even animals and children!
You may ask why be so critical of it? Well, for once the facts speak for themselves. The Greek knew of its intoxicating powers and how much destruction it brings. The Illiad speaks of the Trojan war, that started because of love for Helen of Troy that results a 10-year suffering for both sides. The French, the people so enamoured with this love, often realistically tells about the price of it. The tragic Cyrano never did receive love from Roxanne, for he had spoken his heart through the face of Christian, who died failing to reveal the charade. In the end, he died in her arms, broken by the pain of protecting her misplaced devotion.
It is like a poison that enters minds and corrupt the purest souls. When a man falls in love, he enters into a trance-like state, a self-brainwashing. He selfishly wishes for the person of the desired, only to place his own tinted-glass view onto that person. It usually ends in a spectacular failure, and if the will is weak, he will lose his life. But then what if his love is accepted? The other party may too fallen into the same spell. It was last for a while, but it will not be forever. Man, a visual creature, seeing that beauty has faded and that his glasses has been shattered, will seek love elsewhere, the eternal craving for satisfaction. The Edison Chen's scandal comes to mind. Each of the ladies that slept with him all believe that he loved them, but to him they are merely conquest, the pictures are trophies for the eyes.
Then how about those couples that have stayed together? Wouldn't that be evidence contrary to what you have given? Hardly. Some continue to put up the facade, or have resigned to their fates. However there is some good news, some have surpassed eros together and transcended to the highest love, Agape. Where eros is concerned with satisfaction, Agape is unconditional. It is the Love Christ spoke of in the Gospel of John. it is the Love given by that man who made sure his wife has held on to the overturned sampan, as he sank to his death. This Love is beyond all other thing in this world. It is this Love so beautifully described by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth,
breadth and height
My soul can reach....
I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!
and if God choose,
I shall but love thee better
after death
Have a happy Valentine day. Evileye | 9:25 AM