The Joy of Friendship - February 24, 2019
When it comes to love, the English language is impoverished. We have one word to describe our feelings for our significant other, our child, and our best friend – not to mention our favorite activity, vegetable, or vacation spot! The ancient Greeks had 6 words: eros – “romantic love”; storge – “love for family”; agape – “love for everyone”; philautia – “love of self;” and philia – “deep friendship.” I don’t know what word they would have used for one’s feelings toward broccoli, skiing, or Aruba!
In church we tend to focus most on the first four, with sermons on loving and accepting yourself, strengthening the bonds of community, and caring selflessly for others, rituals around marriage and the dedication of children, and programs for families, but we don’t talk much about philia – the love between friends. Yet as I read about this love this week, I found that it is central in ways I hadn’t thought of in many religious and philosophical traditions.
Read the complete sermon here:
In church we tend to focus most on the first four, with sermons on loving and accepting yourself, strengthening the bonds of community, and caring selflessly for others, rituals around marriage and the dedication of children, and programs for families, but we don’t talk much about philia – the love between friends. Yet as I read about this love this week, I found that it is central in ways I hadn’t thought of in many religious and philosophical traditions.
Read the complete sermon here:
Posted in Minister's Reflections
Posted in Friendship, joy, philia, Unitarian, Universalist, sermon, Toy Story, anam cara
Posted in Friendship, joy, philia, Unitarian, Universalist, sermon, Toy Story, anam cara
Recent
Archive
2024
January
February
September
2023
September
October
November
December
2022
January
February
September
2021
February
March
September
October
November
December
2020
January
February
March
April
June
October
2019
February
March
April
When Lawyers Hear Stories - a sermon by the Rev. Ms. Anne Robertson, March 31, 2019Weekly What's Happening - April 3, 2019In Debt to Life - April 7, 2019Weekly What's Happening - April 10, 2019Weekly What's Happening - April 17, 2019We Are the Parade - Easter Sunday April 21, 2019Weekly What's Happening April 24 - May 4
May
No Comments