"The first and most usual misunderstanding of agape is to confuse it with a feeling. Our feelings are precious, but agape is more precious. Feelings come to us, passively; agape comes from us, actively, by our free choice. We are not responsible for our feelings — we can't help how we feel — but we are responsible for our agape or lack of it, eternally responsible, for agape comes from us; feelings come from wind, weather, and digestion. “Luv” comes from spring breezes; real love comes from the center of the soul, which Scripture calls the heart (another word we have sentimentalized and reduced to feeling). Liking is a feeling. But love (agape) is more than strong liking. Only a fool would command someone to feel a certain way. God commands us to love, and God is no fool." -- Peter KreeftI have a bit of a problem with the famous adage "Love means never having to say I'm sorry." I think it presupposes some sort of thoughtless reactionary forgiveness or perhaps a mutual understanding of flawed behavior (i.e. You mess up and I do too. Therefore, things are ok). What it doesn't account for is the beauty of grace. Grace is without question the fullest expression of love. Grace is a foreign idea to us because it makes very little sense in our world of "required" reciprocity. Grace costs us our pride, costs us our desire to be "right", and costs us ourselves. Love does not mean never having to say I'm sorry. Love means never having to hear it.
--Brimas
