Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1Corinthians 13:4-7
What is Agape Love?
During February and Valentine’s Day, it is such an appropriate time to discuss God’s agape love. Agape love is more than an emotion. It is a sentiment that demonstrates itself through actions. Agape love is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. A simple way to summarize agape is God’s perfect, unconditional love. Jesus lived out true agape love by sacrificing himself on the cross for the sins of the world. There is no greater gift he could have given than his life for us.
Walk to Emmaus
What happened to you on your Emmaus Walk where you saw God’s agape love? Do you remember the agape gifts you found waiting on your bed, or at the conference room table, or on the dining room tables when you were a pilgrim? These came from people who wanted to show you in a small way that you are loved and for you to have a little surprise over the weekend. They did not know you or anything about you but they made gifts for your out of agape Love. How many of you have kept your original agape bag and letters from your first Emmaus Walk? I can’t count the number of times I have heard from community members about how when they wanted a reminder of the weekend or if they felt a little down, they opened their bag, looked through the agape gifts, and re-read their letters. This gave them a good feeling and made them feel connected again to the weekend experience and the agape love they experienced. Think about candlelight and all of the people that drove many miles just to spend a few minutes of their evening with you? For me, my special moment was the agape dinner. The servers, the food, and the entertainment just blew me away.
Showing Agape Love
There is no greater time than now to show agape love to others. This last year has been crazy. What are ways you can serve and show agape Love? You can support your local food pantries through donations of money or supplies. Various ministries are available to serve others, perhaps making masks, providing meals to those in need, doing door drops, or sending cards to shut ins. Maybe it’s providing grub hub meals to health care and other essential workers. The ways to show God’s love are unending.
This fall the Greater Indianapolis Area Emmaus Community will be holding a men’s walk and a women’s walk in October. You have an opportunity to show God’s agape love by participating. There are so many ways you can do this. You can be a sponsor for a pilgrim, be on team, write letters, attend candlelight, or pray. If you are looking for something to do, now is a great time to start working on agape! https://www.pinterest.com/ has great ideas, just search for Emmaus Agape ideas. Check out IndyEmmaus.org for current information on the Walks.
Fellowship and Share God’s Love
There will be a GIAEC Virtual Facebook Live Gathering on February 27th at 7 pm on https://www.facebook.com/groups/156292254410448. Come be part of the Gathering and enjoy a virtual hug for now! This Facebook group is private. If you are not a member, contact Jannell Gunn on facebook or at [email protected] to be added.
DeColores!
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