Module 3: God’s Pagpapadama: What makes us Fall and Stay in Love with God

Activity: Sharing on their experiences of what true love is and see God as love via video conferencing. The teacher will do a synthesis of the sharing.

Lesson Proper:

Discussion 1

All religions have some idea of the importance of love. Christian theology stresses the importance of love because God has revealed that he is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Love is both what God is and what he has done; God always acts in love.

falling in love with god 2.jpg

Love is a transitive reality—that is, it requires an object. In the Bible, love is described as personal (between persons) and selfless (desiring the best for others). Christians see God’s love in sending his Son to die on the cross to save sinners (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10). Christians are to be known by the fact that they love God and others (John (13:34-35). Their love is not to be like the love the world has (Luke 6:32, 35). Love is best seen in actions and in most cases is to be identified with what we do—in our compassion and commitment to those around us, regardless of the object’s virtue (1 John 4:19). Our loving attitudes and behavior are to reflect God’s love. Jesus said that only two commands are needed to govern our lives: love of God and love of neighbor. If such love is demonstrated, all the law and prophets are fulfilled.

The Centrality of Love in Christian Faith

Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his encyclical letter entitle “Deus Caritas Est”

“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn 4:16). These words from the First Letter of John express with remarkable clarity the heart of the Christian faith: the Christian image of God and the resulting image of mankind and its destiny. In the same verse, Saint John also offers a kind of summary of the Christian life: “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us”.

“We have come to believe in God's love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. Saint John's Gospel describes that event in these words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should ... have eternal life” (3:16). In acknowledging the centrality of love, Christian faith has retained the core of Israel's faith, while at the same time giving it new depth and breadth”.

Based from the encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est. God is love and we become Christians because we believe in God’s love. God loves us so much that He even gave us His only son Jesus Christ who died for us and save us from all kinds of sins. Furthermore; having faith in God’s love is not enough, as what St. James once said, “Faith without practice is empty”. Thus, having Faith in God’s love also connotes that in everything, we should practice love. St. Paul in his First letter to the Corinthians 13: 1-3 wrote, “Whatever Christians do, no matter how impressive, as meaningless without love”. St. Paul gave us a reminder that as Christian we are all called to love and in loving we make our Christian Faith meaningful.

Being Christians and a follower of Christ, Christ in the Gospels commands us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Given these two commandments of Christ makes us as Christian. Hence, if we commit ourselves following the commandments of Christ we belong to Christ and Christ in us.

What are the four types of love?

There are four type of love according to the Bible. And these are the following:

Eros- is the Greek word for sensual or romantic love. The term originated from the mythological Greek god of love, sexual desire, physical attraction, and physical love. Love in the form of Eros seeks its own interest and satisfaction—to possess the object of love. God is very clear in the Bible that eros love is reserved for marriage.
Storge- is a term for love in the Bible that you may not be familiar with. This Greek word describes family love, the affectionate bond that develops naturally between parents and children, and brothers and sisters.
Philia - is the type of intimate love in the Bible that most Christians practice toward each other. This Greek term describes the powerful emotional bond seen in deep friendships.

Philia originates from the Greek term phílos, a noun meaning "beloved, dear ... a friend; someone dearly loved in a personal, intimate way; a trusted friend held dear in a close bond of personal affection." Philia expresses experience-based love.

Philia is the most general type of love in Scripture, encompassing love for fellow humans, care, respect, and compassion for people in need. The concept of brotherly love that unites believers is unique to Christianity. Jesus said philia would be an identifier of his followers: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." -John 13:35.

Agape- This term denotes a love that is oriented towards the well- being of the beloved.

Agape is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. This term defines God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure.

Jesus Christ demonstrated this kind of divine love to His Father and to all humanity in the way He lived and died: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Agape and Philia these two types of love at times are even regarded as synonymous in meaning. To ensure God loves us is truly selfless, John chose to use agape. There is a sense of deliberateness and resoluteness in this word which transcends limits that human emotions may at times block the growth of true love. The Bible scholar, William Barclay, describes agape as “the power to love the unlovable, to love people whom we do not like.” Christians need to include such a virtue because Christianity “does demand that we should have at all times a certain attitude of mind and a certain direction of the will towards all, no matter who they are.” But agape is different from eros the later word means desire and is focused on the benefit that accrues to the lover in the relationship often in context of sexual love. The meaning of eros degenerated towards the negative that the New Testament avoided using it.

The Filipino word “pag-ibig” is similar. It is a form of love expressive of eros and is derived from the root word “ibig” or desire. It commonly connotes the yearning to possess what is “loved”. When one says to another “Iniibig kita, pinaka-iibig kita,” this person is saying “I want you to be mine.” In addition, here is more appropriate to translate agape as “Kagandahang-loob” to describe God rather than “pag-ibig” which is the usual Filipino translation in the Bible. We now explore the richness of the concept “kagandahang- loob” and relate it to the Christian understanding of God’s relationship with us. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 62)

Discussion 2

God as Kagandahang- loob in Jesus Christ

Loob/Kalooban

Loob, literally meaning “the within” refers to the core of our personhood as Filipinos and to our most authentic inner self which is essentially related to other selves. The Filipino loob is a shared self so we cannot comprehend it apart from experiences of relating to others. It is, moreover, regarded as the organizing center of human reality and the wellspring of feeling (damdamin), thought (isip) and behavior (kilos). This means that whenever we feel, think and act, our loob is inevitably involved; it is the loob that actually feels, thinks, and acts. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 63)

Ganda/ Maganda

Mahilig tayong mga Pilipino sa magaganda. The popularity and proliferation of beauty contests is one obvious indication of it. In addition, when we are positively in touched by events, we speak of them as maganda. The general harmony experience of harmony in life, when everything seems to be in order is maganda, the grandeur of nature as delightful, relationship that are build up are also described as maganda; magandang pagkakaibigan or samahan. Thus, maganda has noticeably an impact and a positive effect; ang maganda ay may nakakaginhawang dating at talab. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 63)

The term ganda in general, Ganda stands for a delight-bringing totality. It is “not a mere aspect of social, intellectual, and material reality” but “the sum total of katangian (traits) associated with anything.” That is why we consider pleasant physical appearance as insufficient in what we could call maganda if there is no corresponding goodness in character” (de Mesa & Cacho, 2012 p. 64).

Concept of Beauty in the Bible:

“For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7
"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."- Psalm 139:14
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -Ephesians 2:10
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:3-4
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

Kagandahang- Loob

Kagandahang-loob is a winsome goodness, ang kabutihang nakabibighani o nakakaakit. Ethical goodness and aesthetic charm are combined. That is why Kagandahang-loob is pure positivity that captives and wins people over (Schillebeeckx in de Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 64).

God as Kagandahang- loob in Jesus Christ

According to first letter of Paul to the Colossians 1:15, “The invisible love of God became visible in Jesus Christ”. Paul’s letter to Titus attest to this thus: “Sapagka’t inihayag ng Diyos ang kanyang kagandahang- loob na nagdudulot ng kaligtasan sa lahat ng tao” (Titus: 2:11) our definition, so to speak of God is Jesus Christ for God is Jesus like. This is why Jesus is so foundational and so central in Christian Faith. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 64)

Ang Kagandahang- Loob ni Hesus ay nakakatawag pansin at nakakabighani may dating ito at talab. And God is this kind of beauty. God’s Kagandahang- loob is salvific, it transforms, it heals, and it comforts. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, p. 65)

God’s agape; God’s kagandahang- loob who freely and graciously acts for the well- being of people (lubos na naginhawahan) without any thoughts of return of the favor. Describing God in Jesus Christ as Kagandahang- loob goes beyond its references to kindheartedness, benevolence, beneficence, and goodness as a specific act. Kagandahang-loob, does not only mean divine goodness and benevolence it is goodness and benevolence that arises from the very core of God. Furthermore; the kagandhang-loob of God has been described as kagandahang walang daya, and finally; God’s kagandahang- loob or the love of God is identical with the being of God, therefore, it is not something which God has or does, it is not a virtue or a property of God, nor is love something which God can decide to here and without there. It cannot be uneven or pass away. Love is, quite simply, what God is. (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012, pp. 66-67)

Concluding Activity: Assessment

In groups of 7-8 members, do a reflection paper on the Kagandahang- loob ng Diyos, submit it in Canvas as word document. Following the format below:

Paper Size: Short Bond Paper
Font: Arial
Font Size:12
Line Spacing: Double Space
Pages: Minimum of 2 pages and a Maximum of 3 pages.

Guide Questions

Sa anong karanasan mo sa buhay, naramdaman ang pagpapadama ng Diyos ng Kanyang kagandahang-loob?
Sa paanong paraan pinadama ng Diyos sa iyo ang Kanyang kagandahang-loob?
Anu-ano ang mga pagbabago sa iyong buhay?