Genuine and fake love

We can presume everything we do is done in the name of love. We do it because there is something good 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 the extent that our subjective understanding of love, good, and evil can be opposed to the objective truth.

We need to distinguish between genuine and fake love, between 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 them is most needed since we are in very complicated times and many people are unfortunately thrown into deep confusion. Some have even described such sad phenomenon is invincibly irremediable.

I believe we can get to the truth. 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.

He is the creator of all things. 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. But at least with him, we are sure of the path we take, the choice we make.  Our love, to be true, can only flow from God who is love himself. That love is shown to us and is made available to us by Christ who commanded us 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.

As St. Paul said: “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 give all our heart to God by exercising those gifts God has given us, i.e. the theological gifts of faith, hope, and charity. We need time and effort to do this.

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 again and again. Things would always appear new to us even if we handle the same things every day.

When our love is simply based on our own ideas, senses, and feelings alone, that love can only be fake no matter how passionate it may appear. It cannot stand the test of time or cope with all challenges, trials, and temptations.