Genuine and fake love

WE can presume that everything that we do is done in the

name of love. We do it because there is something good that we can

derive from it. That’s the way we are made. We are oriented always

towards the good. We try to avoid evil.

            The problem is that our concept of love and of what is

good and evil may not be as they should be. We can fall into a very

subjective approach in these matters to such an extent that our

subjective understanding of love, good and evil can be categorically

opposed to the objective truth.

            And so we need to learn to distinguish between what is

genuine love and fake love, between what is objectively good and evil

and what may just be our own ideas of them that do not conform to the

truth.

            Nowadays, the ability to distinguish these essential

elements in our life is most needed since we are in very complicated

times and many people, especially the young, the so-called

millennials, are unfortunately thrown into deep confusion and

ignorance. Some people have even described such sad phenomenon is

invincibly irremediable.

            But I believe there’s always hope and that we can still

manage to get to the truth. And so the first thing that we can say

with regard to this issue is that to distinguish between truth and

falsehood, between good and evil, between genuine love and fake love,

we need to have a close, intimate relationship with God.

            After all, he is the creator of all things, the first and

ultimate lawgiver, the very foundation of reality. Without him, we go

out on a limb, and expose ourselves to many dangers. Not that with

him, we are free of dangers. In fact, with him, we will always be

hounded by temptations from inside us and outside us. But at least

with him, we are sure of the path we are taking, the choice we are

making.

            Our love, to be true, can only flow from God who is love

himself. And that love is shown to us and is made available to us by

Christ who commanded us precisely to love one another as he himself

has loved us. (cfr Jn 13,34)

            This love that comes from God through Christ in the Holy

Spirit will always be in the truth, will always be consistent

irrespective of our conditions and circumstances, will always know how

to adapt itself to different situations without getting lost.

            As St. Paul would put it, “Love is patient and kind; love

is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not

insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not

rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things,

believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never

ends…” (1 Cor 13,4-8)

            We have to learn to give all our heart to God by

exercising those gifts God himself has given us so we can share in his

life and love, i.e., the theological gifts of faith, hope and charity.

We need time and effort to do this.

            And given our human condition now, it is a love that knows

how to do spiritual battle against the enemies of God and love. It

knows how to renew itself always and to go through the lifelong

process of having to begin and begin again. Things would always appear

new to us even if we handle the same things everyday.

            When our love is simply based on our own ideas and, worse,

on our senses and feelings alone, that love can only be fake no matter

how passionate it may appear, at least for a moment. It cannot stand

the test of time nor cope all the challenges, trials and temptations

we have in this world.