While I agree with the substance of this article and the conception of love put forward in it I have to say that today I don't think there is any real lack in Christians being able to tell a better story in the sense of articulating Christian teaching on love or even showing rationally how the conception of love put forward by Christianity is more conducive to human flourishing (especially evident in the childhood outcomes of children raised by opposite sex parents in a lifelong monogamous marriage).
Honestly what I think we need now more than a better story is a better slogan and a better "vibe" so to speak. Everything in our culture is geared towards ease, comfort, self gratification, and instant gratification at that. This "vibe" is reinforced by digital technology like a catechism each and every day. In such a culture you can tell as many stories as you want, and they can even be true and rational stories, but no amount of such stories are going to overcome the vibe that "love is love" gives off.
I'm not saying this to discourage anyone from articulating a biblical view of love and doing so is a necessary condition of countering the lies that "love is love" stands upon, but what I believe we really need is some slogan that overcomes or counteracts "love is love" at that "vibrational level". I can't remember the exact quote or which famous pro-choice advocate said it but she said essentially that no pro-choice argument could compete with the images of aborted children, sadly in our cultural moment I don't think that pro-traditional marriage arguments (stories) can compete with the felt correctness of "love is love" because the catechesis of digital technology and expressive individualism have thoroughly inculcated a pre-rational felt belief that denying anyone the self fulfillment promised by this concept of "love" is wrong.
I don't know the answer, I don't have any candidates for slogans or immediate solutions to overturning the "vibe", my only cursory thoughts are that we need to inculcate a "counter-vibe" and that a return to analog technologies, Christian cathechesis, and an emphasis on communal (ecclesial?) identity are going to play a large role. We may reach some with our better story, but I fear that until we have a better "vibe" most of this next generation are going to be unphased.
“thoughtful people know deep down that any love relationship at all means the loss of all three.””
Here I might take minor issue.
The consciousness of sacrifice is a close cousin of resentment. Parents who are worth their salt never think of their “sacrifice” for their children because that way of thinking is rooted in selfishness.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The spiritual principle here is, in my view, that the gift of being able to give of yourself is a projection of God’s Divine Love. That is the highest privilege in all the universe and thus never a source of resentment.
Therefore, genuine love, a projection of the love of our Heavenly Father, never entails the loss of anything, but instead represents the gain of everything that is worth gaining.
I'm in total agreement with Chris and with Jacob in the comments. I was going to post the need for a better slogan. How about we brainstorm here?
"What is love without truth?"
"When is love lust?"
"What is called 'Love' can be lust."
While I agree with the substance of this article and the conception of love put forward in it I have to say that today I don't think there is any real lack in Christians being able to tell a better story in the sense of articulating Christian teaching on love or even showing rationally how the conception of love put forward by Christianity is more conducive to human flourishing (especially evident in the childhood outcomes of children raised by opposite sex parents in a lifelong monogamous marriage).
Honestly what I think we need now more than a better story is a better slogan and a better "vibe" so to speak. Everything in our culture is geared towards ease, comfort, self gratification, and instant gratification at that. This "vibe" is reinforced by digital technology like a catechism each and every day. In such a culture you can tell as many stories as you want, and they can even be true and rational stories, but no amount of such stories are going to overcome the vibe that "love is love" gives off.
I'm not saying this to discourage anyone from articulating a biblical view of love and doing so is a necessary condition of countering the lies that "love is love" stands upon, but what I believe we really need is some slogan that overcomes or counteracts "love is love" at that "vibrational level". I can't remember the exact quote or which famous pro-choice advocate said it but she said essentially that no pro-choice argument could compete with the images of aborted children, sadly in our cultural moment I don't think that pro-traditional marriage arguments (stories) can compete with the felt correctness of "love is love" because the catechesis of digital technology and expressive individualism have thoroughly inculcated a pre-rational felt belief that denying anyone the self fulfillment promised by this concept of "love" is wrong.
I don't know the answer, I don't have any candidates for slogans or immediate solutions to overturning the "vibe", my only cursory thoughts are that we need to inculcate a "counter-vibe" and that a return to analog technologies, Christian cathechesis, and an emphasis on communal (ecclesial?) identity are going to play a large role. We may reach some with our better story, but I fear that until we have a better "vibe" most of this next generation are going to be unphased.
Thanks for those thoughts, Jacob. I agree that we have our work cut out for us!
“thoughtful people know deep down that any love relationship at all means the loss of all three.””
Here I might take minor issue.
The consciousness of sacrifice is a close cousin of resentment. Parents who are worth their salt never think of their “sacrifice” for their children because that way of thinking is rooted in selfishness.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The spiritual principle here is, in my view, that the gift of being able to give of yourself is a projection of God’s Divine Love. That is the highest privilege in all the universe and thus never a source of resentment.
Therefore, genuine love, a projection of the love of our Heavenly Father, never entails the loss of anything, but instead represents the gain of everything that is worth gaining.