“Love your neighbors as you love yourself”

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 “. . .as you love yourself”


What does this mean to love neighbors as we love ourselves?  Does this phrase insinuate a self-centered love?  No. Of course not! The phrase “Love your neighbors as you love yourself” emphasizes a love that is deeply rooted in selfless care and compassion. This love is not about self-indulgence but about recognizing the inherent value and dignity of every person -- including ourselves -- as created in the image of God.

Here are some key points from this lesson:

Practical Care: Loving oneself means taking care of one’s basic needs (e.g., eating when hungry, resting when tired). Similarly, loving your neighbor involves actively addressing their needs and ensuring their well-being.

Self-Respect and Gratitude: One should love oneself by being faithful to God and grateful for the life given. This self-love is about recognizing one’s unique importance in the eyes of God and extending that same recognition to others.

Moderation and Balance: The Church Fathers teach that virtue lies in the middle road. This means taking care of oneself without excess and always considering the needs of others, sometimes even before one’s own.

Relational and Communal: Love is seen as a relational and communal act. By helping and caring for others, one grows in love and becomes more aligned with God’s will.  In turn you contribute to the strengthening the community in which you share with them.

Other as Ikon:  As is this philosophy's tenet we approach Others --not as ourselves (as in the illustration above) -- as themselves as Ikon of Christ Himself.  For Christ is the Ikon of God as we are the Ikon of Christ the Incarnate God. We are thus reminded of this ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers [your neighbors, enemies or families], you did it to me.’

This perspective encourages a balanced, compassionate, and active approach to loving others, reflecting the love and mercy of God.

For those just beginning to learn how to Love the Other I would offer this:

This phrase can emphasize for you a type of love that is deeply personal, active, and caring. It means that we should extend the same level of care, concern, and kindness to others that we naturally have for ourselves

In essence, it calls for:

Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.

Compassion: Being moved to help others in their times of need.

Respect: Valuing others as much as we value ourselves because the Creator fashioned us all equally with a high spiritual dignity.


--Fr Symeon Agiomichaēlitēs
Agaposofia Institute for Theological Philosophy
@An EmergentWorld.org






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