How does Christian discipleship influence how Christians view and think about romantic love from the way our contemporary culture sees it?
Secular American culture tends to define romantic love as elation, a “feeling" that one gets when one sees a man or a woman that one deems “attractive.” It is what movies and popular books might portray as love at first sight, when one is walking down a street and sees someone, their eyes meet and the next thing you know they are dating or “in love.” One example of this type of infatuation is in the movie, “Titanic.” Fictional character, Jack Dawson, sees Rose on the ship and falls in love with her at first sight when they both“just happen” to …show more content…
As children of God we should take on characteristics of God’s love as we grow in our faith and as He shapes us. Christian romantic love should go far beyond emotions and physical acts, I believe that Christian romantic love will be shaped by agape love, which will make a relationship so much deeper and more meaningful.
Agape love is thought of as ultimate love, the most self sacrificial there is, which was prominently displayed in the love God displays for His children, the type of love that Christ displayed on the cross. Agape love may not often be thought of as eros, but I believe that agape love that a man has for a woman or that a woman has for a man plays a vital part in a lasting romantic love. Though there are many characteristics that I believe Biblical romantic love will take on, I will go over three in this …show more content…
While it is necessarily to be attracted to one’s significant other in at least some sense, the weakness with only eros love is obvious. It is based on selfish desires, what benefits one rather than the other person. It is easy to love someone who is desirable and that makes one feel good about oneself, however, it can be a very "me-centric" love, "I love you because it makes me happy.” The problem with this love is that after awhile a person might not feel "in love" with the other person, while one might think that one has fallen out of love it may be that one never had any agape love in the first place, feelings along cannot be defined as true agape love as there may have been no real love in the first place. While eros is undeniable quite important in a romantic relationship over relying on pure emotion can set up the relationship for failure. Eros is an important part of a romantic relationship, but it will not sustain a relationship by itself, it must be shaped by higher values (The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis). I believe that these values include a deeper type of love, a more sacrificial love, an agape love to sustain a relationship. I believe that romantic relationships shaped by not only eros love, but also, and most importantly, by Christ-like agape love is what will set a Christian view of romantic love apart from the secular culture’s