CHRISTIAN
RELATIONSHIPS
Love
LOVE COMES IN MANY FORMS, BUT CAN BE
DEFINED GENERALLY AS SEEKING AND THEN
FOSTERING THE GOOD OF OTHERS IN THE
CONTEXT OF THEIR CONCRETE SITUATIONS.
FOR
CHRISTIANS, THE CHOICE TO LOVE IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT DECISION OF OUR LIFE. WITHOUT
LOVE, SAYS ST. PAUL, WE ARE NOTHING.
LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 13:4-8
LOVE IS PATIENT;
LOVE IS KIND;
LOVE IS NOT ENVIOUS OR BOASTFUL OR
ARROGANT OR RUDE.
IT DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY;
IT IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL;
IT DOES NOT REJOICE IN WRONG DOING,
BUT REJOICES IN THE TRUTH.
IT BEARS ALL THINGS,
BELIEVES ALL THINGS,
HOPES ALL THINGS,
ENDURES ALL THINGS.
THE LAW OF LOVE
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Jesus gave us this blunt answer about which was
the most important commandment:
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“The first is … ‘you shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your
neighbour as yourself.’ There is no the commandment
greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
The ultimate focus of Christianity is love. Love is
at the heart of Christ’s mission and is the only
real measure of following him.
THE LAW OF LOVE CONTINUED…
We are compelled by nature to love; to reach out to
other people. We desire intimacy and feel
incomplete, limited or threatened without love.
Sometimes we try to replace love with activity,
superficial socializing, group happenings, work or
through the effects of drugs or alcohol until we
finally discover that caring relationships are the
only way to fill the emptiness inside us.
TYPES OF LOVE
Self-Love
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begins with self-acceptance
as we value the qualities we
possess and of who we are.
just as God loves us
unconditionally we must try
to see ourselves as God does
even when we make a mess
of things
sometimes our culture sends
us false messages or
standards that we are
measured against –
appearance, beauty, money,
possessions, clothes, status,
power over others which are
all illusions to make us feel
better.
TYPES OF LOVE CONTINUED…
Friendship
 is characterized by
mutual caring
between two people
usually involving
loyalty, support and a
shared view of the
world.
TYPES OF LOVE CONTINUED…
Erotic Love
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the desire two people have
for union of their bodies and
souls, hearts and minds; it
goes beyond mere sexual
attraction.
sexual union is meant to be
exclusive between the two
persons; a total commitment
of the partners.
Saint Paul in his letter to
the Ephesians 5:31 spoke of
erotic love in the picture of
what marriage means:
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“For this reason a man will
leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and
the two will become one flesh.”
TYPES OF LOVE CONTINUED…
Romantic Love
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falling in love with
someone through dating,
going steady, to
engagement
cannot sustain a
relationship forever
in marriage it reappears to
keep the marriage alive
leads to solid mature love
over time in good times
and bad
Pitfalls include infatuation
and idolizing
TYPES OF LOVE CONTINUED…
Nurturing Love
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fostering the good of the
needy, poor, homeless,
hungry, or helpless
persons
Starts with the belief
that we are all sisters
and brothers, so we
treat each other as we
would wish to be
treated.
It is a requirement for
all Christians to nurture
the weakest amongst us.
TYPES OF LOVE CONTINUED…
Parental Love
 the affirmation of one’s
children and the care
and responsibility for
them
 parents exercise their
power for the good of the
children – feeding,
clothing, and shelter.
Additionally parental
love fosters children’s
intellectual, spiritual,
and emotional growth.
TYPES OF LOVE CONTINUED…
Love of Nature
 caring for the earth
and all of God’s
creation
 respecting,
understanding, and
protecting the good of
the earth
 loving the earth as we
would love ourselves.
TYPES OF LOVE CONTINUED…
Love of God
 “Those who do not love
a brother or sister
whom they have seen,
cannot love a God
whom they have not
seen.” (John 4:20)
 by fostering good in
other people and
creation we learn to
love God.
LIFE SKILLS OF LOVING
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Knowledge of the other
person. We try to
understand the other
person in depth so that we
can respond to their needs.
Practical Knowledge.
We develop the skills and
know-how that are useful
in the ways we want to
serve – whether in car
repair, listening, or
organizing a fundraiser.
Flexibility. We are able to
respond to changes in the
other person or the
relationship
LIFE SKILLS OF LOVING
CONTINUED…
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Conflict Resolution. We
bring out in the open what
bothers us in a relationship
and try to resolve problems
in a way that respects the
value of each person.
Patience. We hang in there
with the other person
through difficult times, and
we respect the other
person’s timetable for
growing.
Honesty. We are genuine in
our caring and do not put on
masks to pretend we are
something we are not.
LIFE SKILLS OF LOVING
CONTINUED…
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Trust. We let go of our
concern about constantly
protecting our own interests
in a relationship so that the
other person can grow.
Trustworthiness. We can
live up to the other person’s
trust in us.
Humility. We acknowledge
our real situation – our
accomplishments as well as
our limits and flaws – and
recognize that we are like
all human beings, no better
and no worse. We treat
others as dignified and
deserving of respect.
LIFE SKILLS OF LOVING
CONTINUED…
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Hope. We are ready at each
moment to foster new growth in
a relationship and are open to
new relationships without
putting heavy expectations on
another person.
Courage. We have the courage
to face the unknown – possible
rejection, conflicts, separations,
the death of the other,
abandonment, and the daytoday demands of working at a
relationship.
Forgiveness. We do not hold
the other person’s hurtful
behaviour or wrongdoing over
their head. We talk to the
person; then we go forward in
the relationship with a
generous spirit.
A VOCATION TO CARE
WE ARE MADE BY NATURE TO LOVE AND
SEEK LOVE. THE CHRISTIAN VOCATION,
OR CALL, IS TO LOVE JUST AS GOD LOVES
US.