February brings us Valentine’s Day and so we decided that this issue of The Amalgam would deal with that many-splendored topic: love. If you noticed on the main page, there were three words that had strange letters. These are three of the Greek words for love: eros, philia (more familiar in one of its forms “phileo”), and agape. Scholars will tell you that these three words have multiple meanings, but let’s briefly look at these three words and their most popular meanings. agaph (agape) Most commonly associated with: God’s Love Please use in a grammatically incorrect sentence: When Jesus laid his life down for the sins of humanity, it was one of the ultimate examples of agape. Think: Of all that God has done for us: creating us, sending Jesus, grace, the creation of all good things, and the list could go on. Truly great eros and philia, the kind that lasts, are rooted in agape. eroς (eros) Most commonly associated with: Romantic Love Please use in a grammatically incorrect sentence: Billy attempted to let Kathy know of his eros for her by sending her a letter that said: “Do you like me? Check yes or no.” Think: Cupid, Valentine’s Day, candlelit dinners, long walks on the beach, etc. Romantic love can be a silly elementary school crush or a deep and loving relationship between a husband and wife. filia (philia) Most commonly associated with: Brotherly Love; love for one’s fellow human being Please use in a grammatically incorrect sentence: When a couple of school guys who were up to no good, started making trouble in the Fresh Prince’s neighborhood, they were not showing philia. Think: Lending a helping hand, picking up someone’s books in a class change, talking to someone, smiling, working at a soup kitchen, and basically anything that shows love to those around you. All You Need is Love In this issue, we’ll look at these three types of love. Chase’s song and the conversation between Allison and E.A. will examine different sides of eros. T.J. and Josh are each writing about philia and how it has impacted their lives. They all tie into agape love, a subject which is focused upon in another article. To top it all off, we have a survey filled out by members of our Seesalt staff concerning their opinion on a wide range of love-related topics. Hope you enjoy! Let us know what you think. The Amalgam Home