A love that goes beyond the boundary of emotions: this is Agape. At its core, you will find that Agape love embraces the act of giving without the expectation of reciprocity and exceeds the normal capacity for compassion toward others. It’s like when you’re in a drive through, and you feel a pull in your heart to pay for the order of the person coming up behind you. You may not know it, but that is an expression of Agape love. This is the deeply embedded love that drives us to reach out, help and connect with people we don’t even know.

This is more than just tossing your spare change to the person holding up a “help me” sign in the middle of an intersection. It is more than your compulsory obligation to donate to the department store’s charity of choice at check-out. It is certainly more than grabbing the bill for coffee with a friend. It is that unconditional longing in our hearts to make someone else’s life better, even if only for a moment.

The expression of Agape love is a choice, and once that choice is made, it is nurtured and cultivated so that it can be shared with others in ways that are both meaningful and needed. Agape love devotes time to positive change beyond oneself. As we come to the end of our “Express Love” month, we encourage you to build on this kind of love within your relationships, in your homes, and in your communities. Be mindful of the needs of those around you, including the needs of those that you do not know. Pass the baton of kindness and giving to others and see the act as establishing a purpose that is bigger than yourself. Seek to give, help, and connect with love and compassion. The world so desperately needs more of this Agape love, so be the one who gives it.

“The only way that love can last a lifetime is if it’s unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love”. – Stephen Kendrick