Mythological Love vs. Biblical Love
The love that is portrayed in the Greek and Roman myths consists of someone getting hit by Cupid or Venus, they chase each other, may or may not fall in love and the grand finale is that one or more of them turn into a tree or, occasionally, a cow. It is sad that the only concrete part of the story is the part of someone turning into something unnatural. The “falling in love” part is sketchy and more than often it is just a fleeting affair. Making it even more depressing, this love is rarely from the heart. It is either created from an arrow shot by a naked baby from a pink bow or this “love” is from Venus, the goddess of love and sexuality, who can’t even remain loyal to her own husband. Love in the Greek and Roman myths does not match up to the self sacrificing, true love that is portrayed in the Bible.
Mythological love is often portrayed in stories, or myths, often involving Venus and her loyal sidekick son, Cupid. The terrible twosome reek havoc in the heart of a god or goddess and an innocent bystander. An example of this sham, mythological love is the story of Apollo and Daphne. In the story, Apollo is chasing after Daphne and not once did the story say anything but that Apollo wanted her for her looks. Never once did it mention him loving her for her character. Wanting someone like that is not love, that is lust. The dictionary definition of “lust” is “To have a sexual urge.” The dictionary definition of “love” is “to hold dear; cherish.” The “love” that is shown in Apollo and Daphne does not match up to the dictionary definition, much less Biblical love.
In the Bible, there are many examples of what true love should look like. In Ephesians 5 it says, “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” The love portrayed in the Bible demands all of you and it is never easy. That is how it is true love. If someone is willing to give all of that for one person, they must think that person is worth all the trouble. True love is loving someone as you would want to be loved; treating someone as you would like to be treated; putting someone and their concerns before you.True love is all about self-sacrifice and being willing to give all of you to love this person. In Song of Songs it says, “My lover is mine and I am his...” To truly love someone, you give yourself up for this person, you would be willing to do anything for your lover. The Biblical definition of love is similar to the dictionary definition. In both of them you must cherish the person you love and put their needs first. Biblical love is never easy but it is true love.
Both the myth and the Bible portray love in different ways, but only one can be the true love. In mythological love, the “love” shown is more like lust. In the story of Apollo and Daphne, it said that, “Apollo loved her and longed to obtain her...”(pg. 24) Not only did her “long to obtain her” but “ ... her saw her lips, and was not satisfied with only seeing them.” (pg.24) Apollo was not loving Daphne, he was lusting after her. The punishment for this kind of behavior in Biblical times would have been severe. In the story of David, he committed adultery with another man’s wife, and the child they had died. If you looked at a woman lustfully you had already committed adultery and the punishment for adultery was death, “...both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.” The Bible says that you are to love someone as you would like to be loved; self-sacrifice. The theme of self-sacrifice in love is very strong throughout the entire Bible. Some people may think that this does not apply as much to the romantic love being discussed, but it applies even more so to romantic love. The only way to have a good, strong, romantic relationship with someone is to care about what they think and to put their needs before your own. In Apollo and Daphne, Apollo thought “ ... whatever was hidden from view he imagined more beautiful still. (pg.24)” and even when she was running away from him, he still chased after her not caring that she did not love him and was running away in fear! He did not care about her feelings, only about his lustful longings toward her. In the Bible, God made the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross to save our sins and, once again, this principle of self-sacrificing comes up again. Even though that sacrifice is not romantic, it can, and needs, to be applied to a romantic relationship. The Bible does not have the false goddess of sexuality, which is basically lust, but has a real God who knows how to love and is love.
Mythological “love” is not love at all, but is nothing but a self-seeking lust.The Bible love is the actual, real, self-sacrificing love. As it is so gracefully put in the Bible “Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians: 13.
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