Fruit at Camp #1: Love

But the fruit of the Spirit is love…
-Galatians 5:22

It’s all Greek to me…

Since I’m only introducing one new word per week, I think it’s essential that we understand what each word means. While the English language has one word for love (which is continually being redefined), the Greek language uses four words to represent love in the Bible.

(I summarized these from an article on christianity.com)

• Agape. The greatest form of love. For example, the love Jesus showed by dying on the cross. You can find a definition of this love in 1 Corinthians 13.
• Philia. This refers to love between brothers or friends. For example, David and Jonathan’s relationship is characterized by philia.
• Storge. Storge love is between family members and relatives. For example, Joseph and his brothers did not have this love.
• Eros. This is the term our culture most often uses, and it refers to romantic love or attraction. For example, Adam and Eve’s relationship was eros.

Now let’s be clear – the word Paul uses for love in Galatians 5:22 is agape, the greatest form of love. Agape doesn’t just apply to our friends (like philia), it doesn’t just apply to our family (like storge), and it doesn’t just apply to our spouses or romantic interests (like eros).

So, if you read the title and came here for gushy camp stories about romantic love, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere (:

Here’s how I’ve seen love play out in recent weeks…

Agape at Camp.

There’s something about trapping forty-five under-thirties in four rooms for two months. It obviously isn’t perfect, but it leads to great community-building experiences.

In her book Find Your People, author Jennie Allen says there are five one-word practices you need for good connection. The first is Close. At camp, you can’t get any closer than sleeping ten feet away from a half-dozen other guys.

One thing I admire about the other members of our Summer Team is their commitment to showing others Christ’s love. From day one, it didn’t matter if they’d been friends for a few years or a few hours, you could sense that everyone came to glorify God. Agape love means investing in those who aren’t your closest friends or relatives – it means acting with love towards everyone.

Camp stands out because everyone here shares the greatest foundation – our walk with Christ. To add to that, we’re committed: I can’t leave tomorrow on a whim. Beyond camp, you’ll find it difficult to put together such a group of like-minded individuals for such a long time.

From the greatest action (serving for an entire summer) to the least (helping someone out for a few minutes), I’ve been blessed to show Jesus’ love to those surrounding me. While this is the training week and no campers have arrived yet, I’m taking advantage of my opportunity to build into the other volunteers.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul says, “Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” As training week reaches its end (right as I publish this post), I can’t help but agree. To win souls to Christ, we need love – agape love.

Agape in real life.

Last year after camp, I often asked myself how I could create this community in my day-to-day life. I realize the answer is simple in theory, but much harder in practice.

To create the kind of community you find at camp, you first need to have…community. Like I read in Find Your People, we create community by surrounding ourselves with like-minded people. That’s camp in its simplest form: a group of people with common interests and passions uniting for a greater good.

If you want to create this community in your life, it starts with one person. When you find someone (whether through school, work, church, camp, etc.), hold on to them. Build a friendship centered on agape love. As time goes on, add people to your team. Eventually, you’ll have what our church calls a “small group”.

Together we can build the community we strive for. A community based on His love for us. A community built on Christ, accountability, and love. It’s out of these communities that we can effectively showcase the love of Christ – when we’re united under Him.

If you have a story or area where you’ve seen agape love this summer, please comment below! I’d love to hear how God has been at work in your life!

As Jesus said in John 13:35…

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”