How Love is the Answer

by Lionel Fynn · Published October 15, 2019 · Updated February 24, 2020

“Whatever I say or do is filled with my desire to love and to be loved. This desire drives me to inherent goodness, even as I may be deceived into evil,” writes Lionel Fynn.

By Lionel Fynn – Life is full of challenges. From sunrise to sunset I find myself challenged by my friends and family, by my colleagues and even by my priest.

In as much as thy will is not yet done on earth as it is in heaven, as a Christian I am challenged to continue striving to make it done.

When I turn on the television or read the newspaper, when I go into town or even have a chat with my friends at home, the challenges of life present themselves, from poverty to depression to domestic violence.

In fact, there is no area of life which is not challenging, and if there is, then maybe I do not know that area well enough.

In a society dominated by Christians, I still find it challenging to live an authentic Christian life, still find it difficult to live up to true discipleship—and true discipleship means true love; of God and of neighbour and of self.

Love is the goal and ultimate end of all life, for whatever I do, whatever I say, is filled with my desire to love and to be loved.

This desire drives me to inherent goodness, even as I may be deceived into evil.

Love finds its fullest expression in God, who himself is totally and utterly love.

It is only when I come to know love, in its purest and finest sense, and when this pure and fine love finds expression in words and deeds, that I begin to grasp certain knowledge about God, that I begin to live an authentic Christian life, that I begin to be a true disciple of Christ, whose love for me finds full expression in the Cross.

Love, therefore, must be the answer to all life’s challenges, for in total and supreme love for God, love for neighbour and love for self is God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven.

The challenges I face are either because of a distorted idea of love, or because of a blatant lack of it, for there can be no poverty with love, no depression with love, no domestic violence with love.

While it is easy to fall into the temptation of distorted or no love in an irreligious society, further perpetuating these challenges, it should not be so for a predominantly Christian society, where love should form the centre and driving force of everything since God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him.

Lionel Fynn is a graduate of St John Vianney Seminary and a masters student at the University of South Africa.