February 2026

A primer on love? In February? Could it get more tropey and cliché? Yes, but only if we limit our view of love to romance.

One of the biggest (and in my humble opinion) most credible critiques of Scripture is that it is, in fact, a translation. Much of the original intent and meaning of the words is lost in translation at times. As a case in point… the word love. In English we use love to describe our favorite snacks, our mothers, and our shoes. Others lists include a sports team, a movie star, or a song. There is lots of love to go around. I’m not anti-love, but it is a vast and expansive word that does not fit neatly into a box insofar as connotation and denotation go. Yes, dictionary.com will give you a definition… but with 14 commonly used meanings I’ll stick with the validity of my point: in Scripture love used to have more clearly defined meanings. Maybe.

In Greek philosophy, which would have heavily influenced the language of the Gospels, there were at least six different, distinct types of love. They are agápē, érōs, philía, philautía, storgē, and xenia. And in good Christian fashion, we even further defined these within the church. Agape is not translated as self-less love to the Greeks, but in the church we talk about it as love of God for humanity and when human love for another reflects God’s love for humanity.

In this month of love (or maybe just one holiday that encourages the consumerism side of romance), I hope that God’s love is evident in your life. And that no matter what you call it, you’re doing your best to share it with others.