A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE STORY

I was looking for a reading to give on the theme of ‘Love’ and came across this one,simple,moving and surprising…
The Greeks always ‘had a word for it’and they had several for ‘Love’.’Agape’ was brotherly love,charity,love of God for man and man for God. There was ‘Eros’-physical, sexual love,’Philia’ meaning love between friends, and ‘Storge’, love between parents and children.So many different kinds of love…..and this is a very different kind of love story.

One night, very late,an older African-American woman was standing at the side of an Alabama highway, trying to endure a harsh rain storm. Her car had broken down,she had somewhere to get to urgently, and she desperately needed a lift.Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car,but had little hope of receiving any help.This was the deep South in the 1960’s, a time of racial conflict and mistrust.
A young white man stopped to help her-something almost unheard of at that time, but he took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab.She seemed to be anxious, in a great hurry, but she asked for the young man’s name and address.
A week went by,and there was a knock on the man’s door.A giant colour TV and stereo player were delivered to his home,and there was a note attached.
The note read……
Dear Mr. James,
Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night.The rain drenched not only my clothes,but my spirits.Then you came along. Because of you,I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away.God bless you for helping me and showing me love.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole