Page 78 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 21
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other [that] is different from itself, in order that mous. Love too, as revealed by Jesus Christ (1
this other might be (agape). Love, in doing so, John 4:8 and 16), regards the very essence of
also seeks to be received within the other itself God. However, they do not coincide fully. Let us
to dwell in it (eros). Love does not want to be note three aspects of what love unfolds of the
received by the other in order to disappear in nature of God.
or use the other, but rather to enjoy a gratui-
tous and, in a term that will be explained later, First, the iden�fica�on of love with the divine
virginal unity with the other (agape). [being](esse) permits a vision of love as witnes-
sing to the [transcendental character] (tran-
The agapic dimension of love is perceived as a scendentality) of the transcendental proper�es
perfec�on of love thanks to Chris�an revela�- of being (one, true, good, and beauty), rather
on. While the Aristotelian unmoved mover or than as a simple synonym for goodness. Love
the Plo�nian One does not care for the world, grants a dynamic unity and intensifica�on to
the God of Jesus Christ does. Love is what is the co-extensiveness of being, unity, truth,
most proper to God. He alone, without losing good, and beauty. In his being absolute love,
himself, can give himself to what he is not be- God is one, true, beau�ful, and living. This tran-
cause, in himself, he exists as a tripersonal com- scendental absoluteness can be seen in the
munion of love. It is at the level of three divine self-revela�on of himself to himself as the eter-
persons [Father, Son, Holy Spirit] that the rela�- nal communica�on of the totality of oneness,
on between eros, agape, and logos indicated unity, good, truth, beauty, and live to the other.
earlier finally becomes clear. The perfec�on of The second aspect that love unfolds is the per-
love, where the beloved without regard for sonality of the Godhead. God is not only the
himself gives all of himself to the other, all the fullness of being and goodness in the objec�ve
while desiring to be loved by this other, is pro- sense. He is superabundant being, goodness,
tected from ego�sm through the third that wisdom, and life because he is also a personal
both unites them and preserves their dis�nc�- being who exists as an infinite rela�on of love
on. Love gives itself, a rela�on of personal ind- in which one has always already given himself
welling in which everything is given and shared over to the other two completely. Due to the
.…[However,] this rela�on does not collapse inseparability of love and logos in God, divine
into the giver or the receiver because of this revela�on does not lead to an understanding of
third, who represents at the personal level the the concept of "person" as marked by a ran-
objec�ve unity between the giver and the re- dom, arbitrary will, but rather as a mystery of
ceiver. The complete form of love is marked by dialogue and cons�tu�ve rela�on with another.
the giving and receiving known as koinonia Personhood, in light of revela�on, is recognized
[communion]. In this communion, as Chris�an as the perfec�on of being, first in God and ana-
revela�on confirms, the third is both fruit and logically in the human being. God's self-
summit of the love that binds the lover to and communica�ng goodness always exists as a
dis�nguishes him from the beloved. This koino- communion of persons. The eternal communi-
nia, when referred to God, describes both the ca�on of his own goodness (Deus Trinitas) is,
unity of love and its preserva�on of the diffe- analogically speaking, a loving, ever-greater,
rence of giver, gi�, and receiver. eternal encounter of the divine persons.
Through Chris�an revela�on, God reveals him- Third, the rela�on between love and person
self as a mystery of love. God not only gives also means that God's communica�on of his
crea�on to itself; he loves it and does so to the own being is accompanied by frui�on. God not
utmost. This understanding of God as absolute only communicates his being; he takes delight
love fulfills the revela�on of God as being (Exod in doing so and, moreover, desires that the
14:4; John 8:28) and transforms the Greek un- other par�cipate in both the giving and the de-
derstanding of the Good. There is of course a light of loving and being loved by the other.
sense in which the Good and love are synony- There is no love without the delight of being
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