Can you genuinely love people who you have not met?


Lost Boy
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I see people here and all over the internet proclaim love for those who they have never met. To put it coldly, there will be a sob story and there will be a response of people saying they love the person. 

Every day some 200k people die. Occasionally a group dies together in an accident and it makes the news, but most people die without publicity. Why would I care any more for the group that died rather than the 200k that don't get mentioned? 

I just don't really feel what I view as love for them. For people in my life I feel completely different. Especially those who have meaning. 

I can sympathize for those I don't know, but I just don't feel love for them. 

Am I strange like that? 

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Guest MormonGator

Yes, it is. I have two good friends in particular that I've known for over a decade online. I love both dearly.  We text and Fb message quite frequently. Distance and not meeting them in "real life" doesn't matter. We've sent each other gifts like books, cds, dvds-I thank God every day I've met these people. 

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1 hour ago, Lost Boy said:

I see people here and all over the internet proclaim love for those who they have never met. To put it coldly, there will be a sob story and there will be a response of people saying they love the person. 

Every day some 200k people die. Occasionally a group dies together in an accident and it makes the news, but most people die without publicity. Why would I care any more for the group that died rather than the 200k that don't get mentioned? 

I just don't really feel what I view as love for them. For people in my life I feel completely different. Especially those who have meaning. 

I can sympathize for those I don't know, but I just don't feel love for them. 

Am I strange like that? 

You aren't strange. Serving a mission really helped me develop the gift of love. Am I perfect? Nope. Is my love tough at times? Absolutely. It is possible to love someone a million miles away. Try praying for someone and for help developing your gift.

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1 hour ago, Overwatch said:

You aren't strange. Serving a mission really helped me develop the gift of love. Am I perfect? Nope. Is my love tough at times? Absolutely. It is possible to love someone a million miles away. Try praying for someone and for help developing your gift.

Out of curiosity, which church did you serve a mission with?

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1 hour ago, Grunt said:

Out of curiosity, which church did you serve a mission with?

I never said did I? Well, I served 24 months consecutive, I only had contact with family about twice a year (minus snail mail), I paid cash to go and serve (sponsored myself) and I invited people to come unto Christ through learning, repenting, baptism and enduring to the end ( not the whole thing but a brief outline)

Is my service less than what you have in mind?

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1 hour ago, Overwatch said:

I never said did I? Well, I served 24 months consecutive, I only had contact with family about twice a year (minus snail mail), I paid cash to go and serve (sponsored myself) and I invited people to come unto Christ through learning, repenting, baptism and enduring to the end ( not the whole thing but a brief outline)

Is my service less than what you have in mind?

Any service is awesome.  I just knew you were a recent convert, so I was wondering what religion you were on a mission for, that's all.  You still didn't say.

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Just now, Grunt said:

I was visiting another ward today that mentioned you were known for singing Karma Chameleon in the shower.

Not as embarrassing as when you @zil did the Electric Slide at the last compound cook out. 

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7 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

Not as embarrassing as when you @zil did the Electric Slide at the last compound cook out. 

I attached a motor to the sliding glass doors so you can operate them by remote control, and now he calls it "the Electric Slide".  (Wait until he sees the accessory my brother is designing for the in-ground pool.)

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14 hours ago, Lost Boy said:

I see people here and all over the internet proclaim love for those who they have never met. To put it coldly, there will be a sob story and there will be a response of people saying they love the person. 

Am I strange like that? 

I dunno, if you're strange, maybe a little on the weird side.

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19 hours ago, zil said:

That depends on what you mean by "love".

 

19 hours ago, Grunt said:

This.  

This x2.

So @Lost Boy, what's your meaning of Love?

 

P.S.  It's about time you get yourself an avatar... @Carborendum might be able to help you.

Edited by anatess2
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Just now, zil said:

Two singular thises make a these - if they're close enough together to appear like they're, um, together.  Like in a group.  A group of thises.  Aka, a "these".

I wonder why we stopped saying "thises" and started saying "these".

Because Americanese is weird.

 

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1 hour ago, anatess2 said:

 

This x2.

So @Lost Boy, what's your meaning of Love?

 

P.S.  It's about time you get yourself an avatar... @Carborendum might be able to help you.

A true caring for someone.  Not just caring for someone because the TV flashed a news report about them.  Caring for someone that you actually bothered to get to know and have connected with them on a personal level.

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3 minutes ago, Lost Boy said:

A true caring for someone.  Not just caring for someone because the TV flashed a news report about them.  Caring for someone that you actually bothered to get to know and have connected with them on a personal level.

Let me suggest that at times it is not profitable to hold people to preassigned word meanings. This is especially true when dealing with words that represent vast concepts like "love". By the narrow definition you give, it is impossible to harbor "a love for all mankind", yet I think the phrase is meaningful and should be understood. You need not always have a close personal relationship with someone in order to wish that person the best, and even act for his/her benefit. Surely such feelings and actions should be classified as a form of "loving", even if there exists no formal, intimate relationship.

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33 minutes ago, Lost Boy said:

A true caring for someone.  Not just caring for someone because the TV flashed a news report about them.  Caring for someone that you actually bothered to get to know and have connected with them on a personal level.

What about the guy who imprisons his wife in his house because he cares so much for her he couldn't bear to see her get hurt.  Is that Love?  How about the guy who loves his girlfriend so much he went to have sex with her before marriage.  Is that Love?

So, when Christ gave the commandment to Love One Another, you believe that means you have to get to know everyone and connect with everyone on a personal level?

Let me present to you the TRUE meaning of Love.  Love is that desire - humble and honest and pure - to bring people closer to Christ.  A person who pledges their love for someone while engaging in sexual intercourse outside of marriage has no Love for that person as they have no problem pulling that person away from Christ.  So, a person shot up some people in Jacksonville, Florida over the weekend.  I can honestly tell you I love the shooter even as I hate, nay, abhor, the act that he did.  I love the shooter because I hope and pray that he finds his way to Christ in the Spirit World.  It is the only thing I can do for him.  Crazy, huh?

Edited by anatess2
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Can you genuinely love people who you have not met?

Sure we can!! Aren't we supposed to have charity (the pure love of Christ) for everyone? If we have been commanded to love the way He loved, then it's probably  for us to love genuinely like He did.

I have a job where people test my patience every single day, I have notes on my desk that remind me about the fact that those I consider to annoy me are my brothers and sisters and are actually children of my Heavenly Father as well. I think having that present in my daily life has truly help me be able to love them, so I can help them with patience and care.
We can develop that kind of love that Jesus taught about by doing the things He did.

I think one of the main reasons we came to Earth was to learn to love.

 

Edited by Chilean
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