In a letter written around 60 AD (Letter 48, “Moral letters to Lucilius”, translated by Richard Gummere) the Stoic philosopher and Roman statesman Seneca tells us that “no one can live happily who has regard to himself alone and transforms everything into a question of his own utility; you must live for your neighbour, if you would live for yourself.”
In “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Martin encourages us to cultivate agape.
Agape, a Greek word, is a loving attitude that “makes no distinction between friends and enemies”, and strives to “discover….the neighbor in every man it meets.”
In “Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith”, Anne Lamott reminds us of “unearned love” that “keeps getting us off the hook” — “the help you receive….when you are empty and desperate.”
Peace 😊
