In recent years, I have become concerned with personal growth and self-awareness.

I want know why I think and believe the way I do. I not only think it's worthy of
my time to find answers to questions that plague me, it's also my own, personal
responsibility.

You don't want to blindly accept a second hand account of what somebody else
interprets to be truth, do you? Neither do I.

I want to know. I need to know. Personally and first-hand.

The other day, I learned that I have, for years, held an incomplete understanding
of the definition of the word "apocalypse". I always thought it meant something
along the lines of World War 3, etc...

The definition at http://www.dictionary.com the following:

a�poc�a�lypse
n.

1. revelation
2. any of a class of Jewish or Christian writings that appeared from about 200
b.c. to a.d. 350 and were assumed to make revelations of the ultimate divine
purpose.
3. a prophetic revelation, esp. concerning a cataclysm in which the forces of
good permanently triumph over the forces of evil.
4. any revelation or prophecy.
5. any universal or widespread destruction or disaster: the apocalypse of
nuclear war.

The third and fourth definitions surprised me. I asked around and found that
others had also carried a partial understanding of the word all their lives. Many
of us generally have images of destruction and colossal warfare upon hearing the
word.

I found this significant and interesting, because I spend a lot of time thinking
about how people interpret words.

All day we make interpretations, and, I am convinced, misinterpretations. The

latter, sadly, often gives rise to conflict, anger, resentment and hurt feelings
that can last a lifetime.

I have watched, time and time again, as people argued and fought over their
interpretations of scriptural passages. I know for a fact, that I held steadfast
for years to passages and ideas handed down to me as a child, without ever taking
time to investigate the context and meanings for myself. I suspect that happens to
a lot of people.

To go even deeper, there are a lot of words in my vocabulary, which I have used
all my life, that I have always assumed I understood the definitions of. I have
also assumed that my interpretations of particular words were just the same as
other peoples'. To my surprise, almost nothing could be further fro the truth.

How do you define the word love, for example?

Dictionary.com has 14 defintitions:

love
/l?v/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [luhv] Show IPA noun, verb, loved, lov�ing.
�noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent,
child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
5. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like):
Would you like to see a movie, love?
6. a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.
7. sexual intercourse; copulation.
8. (initial capital letter) a personification of sexual affection, as Eros or
Cupid.
9. affectionate concern for the well-being of others: the love of one's
neighbor.
10. strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.
11. the object or thing so liked: The theater was her great love.
12. the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection
due from them to God.
13. Chiefly Tennis. a score of zero; nothing.
14. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter L.

Lots of definitions. A variety of contexts, but what it the greatest definition of

the word love?
Apparently, it can mean a lot of different things to different people.

To me, the word love, at it's highest form, is demonstrated by a total condition
of selflessness. To act on behalf, and for, the well-being and happiness of
another, gladly, and without expectation of recompense.

To that end, love must indeed be a action word.

We are taught by our culture, parents and peers, that it is important to express
love. I don't know many people who don't think it's important to tell the ones
they care about that they love them. What does not seem to be taught, is how
important it is for us to recognize and know what motivates us to say those words,
that can mean everything, to another person.

Do we say "I love you" when we really mean "I want you" or "I desire you"?

Do we tell somebody we love them, and then turn around and speak poorly of them
behind their back?"

One time I had a job that required me to drive a lot. One morning while working, I
was listening to a Christian radio station, as I often did. The station played a
recording of a group of children singing, and the chorus of the song went "In all
I do, I honor you." I began thinking about the sentiment, which was directed
towards God, and thought that this was a pretty bold statement.

I'm not sure the children possessed enough life-experience or insight to ponder
the weight of the lyrics, and I'm sure it was intended to be an inspirational song
of worship, indeed, a cute one sung gleefully by youngsters, and maybe I take
things a little to seriously, but I think it's dangerous to make a claim as proud
as that.
For one thing, I couldn't bring myself to sing along, even in my head, for the
simple reason that I know everything I do does not bring honor to god. To make
such a claim would suggest that I am a saint, and anybody who knows me, can surely
attest otherwise.

So, when I tell someone I love them, do I really? Do I put their happiness and
well-being ahead of my own, at least part of the time? If the answer is no, then I
am, at best, merely repeating a shallow sentiment that might provide another with
an ephemeral and superficial feeling of being loved...and at worst, I am a liar.