The concept of love and friendship

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that every true love must be directed first to God, because Scripture commands: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” Human love that is correct issues from the love of God and is a part of it.

Distinguishing types of love
Love is divided into natural (like blood relations) and acquired (like fellowship, friendships, sympathy). There is an important difference between true love and lust or passing admiration: lust always wants to take, while love always wants to give.

Characteristics of true love
True love is pure, wise, conscious, and practical. It must be accompanied by giving, sacrifice, and spiritual formation, and not by selfish pampering or justifying sin.

Love and means
Not every means called love is correct — love may have a good aim but be practiced by wrong means (such as deceit or covering up sin) leading to harm and spiritual loss. Inclusive love loves everyone, even enemies and those who offend.

Love and correction
Reproof and discipline can be expressions of true love if they aim at admonition and salvation. Defending the wrongdoer and enabling his sin is not love but participation in the sin.

Love and eternity
Love that wishes to continue into eternity must be holy and pure; wrong earthly love may end, whereas holy love gathers people together in the kingdom of God.

Practical (embodied) love
Love is not only words but action: helping the poor, giving oneself in service and preaching, and enduring in trials. Practical love appears in times of need and distress.

A moral-spiritual call
The central message is a call for the believer’s love to be God-centered, without hypocrisy, active and disciplining with wisdom, living for the salvation of souls and the spreading of God’s kingdom.

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