Winter 2000

(Originally published in the Fall 2000 edition of GONZAGA, the alumni publication.)

In the discussion in Part 1, I delved into the first of three aspects of the Jesuit educational tradition: our intellectual tradition. I will now address the second aspect: The imitation of the love of Christ (agape). St. Ignatius saw agape as central not only to the Spiritual Exercises, but to every Jesuit apostolate and community.

In the University context agape is central to our community, that is, to the way in which we teach, the goals of our residence life, and the associations we have with faculty, staff, parents, alumni, community and friends. This one characteristic gives rise to care and spirit, to knowledge of the mind and heart, and to central meaning and purpose in life. It is what made and makes GU so special for all of us.

The objective of the Christian life is joy. Jesus summarized his intention for the world by saying, "I tell you all these things, that my joy may be yours, and your joy may be complete" (Jn. 15:11). As Jesus makes clear, the way to joy is agape. Agape may require sacrifice, but in the long run, it will always lead to joy. This is Jesus' promise for eternal salvation.

What is agape? In brief, it is the habit of the heart giving rise to forgiveness and compassion which leads to unity, peace and joy within the human community. To explain this highest human call, it might be best to differentiate it from three other views of love.

The Greeks called the most "instinctual" kind of love storge. It is the natural affection we feel for other human beings, our responsiveness to a child, to a friend, or simply to someone who wishes us well. We do not have to think about this kind of love. It naturally emerges from us when we are not "stressed out"or being "socially retarded." Agape can frequently include this kind of affection, but it is not reducible to it.

Philia (friendship) is based on a reciprocal commitment. When one friend commits time and energy to another, and the other reciprocates, a deep loyalty and emotional bond occurs. Though agape can be involved in friendship, it does not require friendship's reciprocity, commitments, or emotional bondings.

Eros (romantic love) occurs in relationships of special intimacy and exclusivity. Again, agape can be involved in the romantic love intrinsic to family, but it is not dependent upon romantic feelings or special intimacy.

So what is agape grounded in? The God-given, human capacity to see the intrinsic dignity of another person irrespective of affection, friendship, or romantic feelings. This vision of the dignity, goodness, and mystery of the other gives rise to benevolent intention, compassion and forgiveness. We want the other to prosper even if we do not directly benefit. We want to prevent the other from suffering even at the cost of our time and energy. We want the human community to be better off for our time and effort because we know that this is the one purpose of life that is truly lasting and worthy of us.

This deep desire to invest ourselves in the well-being of others moves us to compassion (sympathy with others in their suffering). When this sympathy is detected by its recipients, it dignifies and elevates them and infuses in them an awareness of their true intrinsic dignity.

Similarly, the deep desire to invest ourselves in the well-being of others gives rise to one of the hardest of all virtues: forgiveness. Forgiveness is not forgetting, but the essential condition for future forgetting. It interrupts the cycle of "vengeance begetting vengeance" and "violence begetting violence," and gives rise to the possibility of growth in the love and joy to which Christ has called us. It is the most important quality of agape for Jesus. Hence, I will discuss it in greater detail in my next Perspective.

Though forgiveness can be hard, and compassion inconvenient, they "switch on" the highest of human powers and callings. They elevate the plane of meaning and being on which we live. They optimize the goodness we can produce with our lives, and in the end, give rise to peace and joy in the human community.

Think back to your experiences at GU. Think of the messages you received on the Search Retreats. The moments of gratuitous kindness in the residence halls, and the hard-won moments of compassion and forgiveness amidst the inconveniences of collegiate growth. What was so special about our experiences at Gonzaga? I would wager that it was agape embodied by a community who truly believed in it. This is the central point of Jesuit education.