Agape

I am thinking about the princess who kissed a frog today. Was it a show of affection motivated by real love (Agape) bound by law to produce intimacy? Or was she motivated by other things like loneliness, power, lust (doubtful), or friendship, any of which, according to my class, can only lead to disappointment and disillusionment.

Thousands converged upon the BYU campus for the beginning of Education Week. My friend Jodi and I were two of the anxiously seeking middle aged women who race walked from building to building with our comfortable shoes, and packed granola bars. We giggled and cried and had our minds enlarged.

During a class on Love and intimacy, we learned about the 4 words for love in the Greek language, Philos for friends, Storge for family, Eros for romantic love, and Agape, for charity or the deepest of all loves that added to any of the other loves makes it deeper and long lasting.

Directly in front of us a 50ish woman adjusted in her seat. Out came the loudest and longest flatulence I have witnessed since high school. Though many curious people around us whispered, the class continued. After a minute or so, the woman's husband softly reached up his arm around his wife and discretely patted her shoulder in comfort. "I'm here for you" this gesture said. "I still love you." Jodi looked at me and said, "Agape."