Today, we know one word for the many feelings of love, but the Ancient Greeks had many more. The highest, most powerful kind of love was called ἀγάπη – agapē, meaning the love one feels for humanity, for God, and for the human connection. Although Christianity adopted agapē as “God’s love for humankind” (Zavada), the Greeks viewed it in a more overarching sense; for example, as the love one feels for their spouse or children – just pure, deep love (Liddell).
I wanted the header of my webtext to have tulips on it, because these beautiful flowers are very representative to the concept of agapē love. According to ProFlowers, tulips have come to symbolize “perfect love”, and an undeniable, unconditional care for one another. Tulips also bloom consistently year after year, making them annual flowers, which can represent eternal love. This aligns with agapē love perfectly, and thus I wanted them to be ever present on my webtext.
I hope this webtext inspires you to learn more about the different types of love, and that you recognize where in your own life agapē love is present.
Liddell, H. G.; Scott, Robert (October 2010). An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded upon the seventh edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon. Benediction Classics. p. 4.
ProFlowers. “History and Meaning of Tulips.” ProFlowers Blog, 18 Mar. 2019, www.proflowers.com/blog/history-and-meaning-of-tulip.
Zavada, Jack. “Explore 4 Different Types of Love in the Bible.” Learn Religions, Learn Religions, 6 May 2019, www.learnreligions.com/types-of-love-in-the-bible-700177.