As in [symbol]agape[/symbol].
Poly wrote in another thread:
I can’t quite wrap my brain around the notion of making anything more clear than you can since what I often seem to do is confuse people, put them off, and generally fail at exposition.
But as a favor to you, and for whatever value it might be to anyone, I believe that love is the conduit for goodness. I don’t know how to put it simpler.
Love is the means by which goodness is expressed.
The Body of Christ is not a network of churches, but a network of love. God Himself is love. All who love are a part of the Body of Christ, no matter from what “religion” (or none). Whoever loves is conducting goodness and knows God because he is doing what God does. He is, in fact, being God.
An atheist might deny God’s existence intellectually, and yet — if the atheist is conducting goodness, then the atheist is doing the same work that God does, and knows God, unlike a theist who is not conducting goodness.
For the atheist who loves, the intellect denies, but the spirit confesses; and for the Christian who does not love, the intellect confesses, but the spirit denies. And a person’s true essence is his spirit.
Calling Jesus “Lord” is not conducting goodness. But feeding the hungry, ministering to the sick, and visiting those in prison — these are conducting goodness.
That’s why Jesus said that many will call Him “Lord” and point out all the things they did in His name, but He will tell them to go away, and say that He never knew them. The ones He knows are the ones who love.