The month of February is considered the month of love because of Valentine’s day. However, we must not forget the true meaning of love. God is love. God in His essence is love. God shows us the highest form of love: agape. Agape love is selfless love, love that does not seek itself. It is a love of sacrifice. God showed us agape when He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13).
The basis of Christianity is love: to love God, one’s neighbor as yourself, and even your enemies as yourself. Pope Kyrillos compared love to a piece of string that binds all the beads virtue together. What this means is that without love, one cannot have any of the other virtues. Think about it: how can you be gentle, respectful, patient, selfless, and kind without love? Love is the seed that gives rise to all these wonderful fruits of the Spirit.
Love is the most powerful force in the world. Love drives us to change for the better, and in turn, like a domino effect, when others see our love, they will also transform into better versions of themselves.