The Lenten season serves as a powerful reminder of a self-denying love, even though the actual meaning of the word "love" is frequently misused and misunderstood in our daily lives. While society constantly speaks of love, we live in a world fractured by intense global conflicts—including wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—and we often suffer from a lack of peace within our own communities, workplaces, and families.
Genuine love, rooted in the Greek concept of Agape, is an unconditional, free self-sacrifice aimed entirely at the goodness of others. Pope Francis, pointing to St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, emphasizes that love is kind, endures all things, and is never self-seeking. God exemplifies this love perfectly by constantly forgiving humanity and enduring our shortcomings. Furthermore, giving freely to others is essential for human flourishing; as both Aristotle and Pope Francis note, our most intense joys come from bringing joy to others.
If loving others brings such profound joy, the continuation of global violence and broken relationships is driven purely by human selfishness and egoism. Rather than accepting our ethical responsibility toward others, humanity often adopts the destructive perspective that "the other is hell," choosing instead to build isolated worlds of personal power. This self-seeking nature mirrors the Pharisees in the Gospel of John, who actively rejected Jesus's miraculous act of love simply because it did not serve their personal interests. Nations and individuals prolong suffering and war because they prioritize their own security and power over the well-being of others, ignoring the reality that the security of the other may be their own as well.
As long as we engage in pure self-seeking behavior, global hardship and violence will persist. True love is placed at the service of the other; it hopes, forgives, and does not compete. By allowing a hoping love to guide us toward dialogue, diplomacy, and the common good, we can open our hearts to truth and finally make love a terrestrial reality.
