Genuine Love: Introducing The Lovesters

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love . . . . 

 - From 1 Peter 1

Love is a real Word of the Century so far. People pepper it everywhere - in their expression of devotion to one another, in their definition of marriage, in their policy statements. It's as if, by touting "love" as my goal and motivation, I absolve myself of all the harmful deeds I may commit to others, in pursuit of these aims. 

Love is so vague a concept today, meaning so many different things in so many different contexts to so many different people, that it has come to mean nothing at all. It is a hollow concept, used without any real teeth, in debate and the creation of society's corporate vision. But if I toss "love" into my intercourse with others, I am aiming to make myself immune from logical or ethical attacks. 

I'm a lover, not a fighter. 

But, what if we elevated love to a high pinnacle of human endeavor? What if we let it soar above the clouds, where it belongs? What if it held a position of unattainability to the average human? What if it became an ideal to strive for, and not just a base description of whatever routine activities we're conducting in this moment - to make the mundane holy so that by all means we may all be known as "holy" without even a smidgeon of effort?

Consider the Apostle Peter's characterization of genuine love. Note the three qualities that must be present: 

• Purity
• Obedience
• Truth

In 2023, the people that scream the loudest about "love" and whatever it means to them, are often not the same people advocating for purity of any form. They advocate for attitudes that are anything but obedient (neither to other humans nor to God Almighty). They have even removed the word "obey" from the marital vows, having made it into a bad concept. You also never hear the modern "lovesters" reference the idea of "truth." Truth, to them, is transitory. It's a social construct. It changes all the time. It means different things to different people (but they can become violent if you ever challenge their personal definition of truth).

A society practicing real LOVE can't help but thrive. The pursuit of happiness is easy to them that truly LOVE. Life and Liberty also are automatic, where real love is present. 

Is it love or not? Look at the fruits. And compare the behavior to Peter's description of genuine love.