Agape

The word Agape is the ancient Greek noun for divine love and the love of fellow human beings. For example in the words of Jesus, love your “neighbor” as yourself.

Some of the passages in the New Testament are interesting. They are referred and preached to, some arguing directly about their significance, while some meditate on them.

There was a discussion on the radio about who is your “neighbor.” It got me to think about the question:

If we are to love our "neighbor" as our self, it is relevant to know who our "neighbor" is, and whether we think he deserves our love or not.

There are divided opinions on, who is your "neighbor." Some believe your "neighbor" has to be located nearby others believe everyone are your "neighbor," no matter where in the world they are.

Maybe one should approach this question from a different angle than the usual. You shall love your "neighbor" as yourself, according to the New Testament. It does not say that one should love one's "neighbor" more than oneself - and not less either. But if you don't love yourself or just don't care about yourself, should you relate to your "neighbor" in the same way?

Perhaps here is meant: You shall love your "neighbor" as your own inner self and not as yourself as an ego? The personality is hierarchical not as high as the Self. Self is more impersonal and closer to the Overself, which essentially do not distinguish between personalities, so far as I understand.

It could be a higher commandment including reminding that you have to search, to find. A development which, if successful, will meet another commandment:

Do not be vain with God's name. Closest one seriously can get to God's name is: "I AM" (the burning bush). And "I" is a difficult case. Many great thinkers throughout the ages have come to the conclusion that all answers on all questions come at the same time it dawns on one, who or what "I" actually is.

If we take God's name in vain, we are personally hurt if we perceive insults against God. Do we not take God's name in vain, it seems that insults only shows how “the insulters” think and are. We do not consider them as dangerous criminals, because they express what they think or feel. This does not at all concern one in that sense. For this reason we still have our own faith and our own opinions.

But if we are unsure of our faith, it may well be that it feels dangerous that other expresses something we might even have a clue on, but we do not dare think about finish the thoughts, because we might be programmed with that it is sinful to question, sinful to seek truth and enlightenment.

It is this straitjacket fundamentalists of various religions in their ignorance are using all their strength to push upon the unfortunate proselytes.

It provides many sincere seekers, distaste for religion, and not a few have a feeling that some atheists are closer to God than many "believers" really are.

It would be natural and sensible not to confuse the "I" with the ego personality and thus take God's name in vain. Quite a task. Personality belongs to the "I". We say: MY personality, MY ego, MY brain, MY body, etc.

We confuses automatic the apparently with the real which may be light of life itself and not existence itself. Existence is perhaps a school hour, with all that implies in terms of opportunities. You can learn or play truant. Life itself is not depended neither by diligence or truancy. It is more comparable to a sun that always shines, even when you can’t see it because of clouds or nights. And the sun will behave equally towards oneself and towards one's "neighbor." Maybe there is a position ideal to follow in this.

If you put the ego to the throne and at the same time consider the throne for God's seat, you have problems. So there is plenty of fertile ground for self-righteousness and eclipse. Seeing a solar eclipse, it is because you are where you are. Elsewhere, the sun is not darkened.

Christ uttered the famous words: “I am the way, the truth and life.” Is it the impersonal “I” he refers to and represent, and not decidedly his own person, he has suggested a significant way to the individual's spiritual development, a path consistent with ancient thinkers and sages directions of possible routes. Most of them point in the same direction, and are without religious viruses and malware.