The nurse is caring for a patient who is scheduled for a lobectomy for a diagnosis of lung cancer. While assisting with a subclavian vein central line insertion, the nurse notes the client's oxygen saturation rapidly dropping. The patient complains of shortness of breath and becomes tachypneic.
ÏÎ¹Î»Î¿ÏÎ¿ÏÎ¯Î±, ÏÎ¹Î»Î¿ÏÎ¿ÏÎ¯Î±Ï, á¼¡ (from ÏÎ¹Î»ÏÏÎ¿ÏÎ¿Ï), properly, love (and pursuit) of wisdom; used in the Greek writings of either zeal for or skill in any art or science, any branch of knowledge, see Passow, under the word (cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word).
One of the Greek words for love means to have a brotherly love towards someone. Another one of the Greek words means to have a passionate love towards someone. But the word used by John here, agapao (from the word agape), means something quite different. In some translations, agape is actually translated as charity. Agape then, can be described as self-giving love. It is this self-giving love that John is calling us to.