Christianity and the Bible have a lot to say about love. One of the first Biblical scriptures of love that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: "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." Especially in this day and age, such love can be hard to sustain.
It is easy to understand agape love, the love of man for God and God for man. However, it seems that the harder love is "philia" or brotherly love as it is an unconditional love, friendship and affection. The sign in the yard above (enlarged below) is in a front yard in the Westerwood neighborhood of Greensboro. "No matter where you are from, we're glad you're our neighbor."
Now that is surely and example of not only brotherly love, but also agape. Imagine walking up to a buttery yellow house in an urban neighborhood with a friendly, buttery yellow feline, and seeing a sign that made you feel welcome. That feeling is the essence of a good neighbor and a great neighborhood; someone who understands love. Westerwood has several such signs; as do many of Greensboro's neighborhoods. Did you know that the opposite of "philia" is "phobia"? It has been said that love conquers phobias. Imagine if we could all find a way to fill ourselves with love.
Remember, dear readers, we love you.
The same signs can be found here, though rather than Spanish, the top third is French.
Posted by: William Kendall | Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 01:30 PM