The real meanings of words such as love and freedom that people have deeply considered for ages have been manipulated by human self-centeredness in modern times.
Words such as love and freedom are now often used in contexts totally disconnected from the meanings that were thought about and sacrificed for across so many centuries.
Today, we live in a society that talks frequently about love, freedom, and equality. It took people much of human history to establish societies where those words would be commonly used. A key reason it took so long is the primal desire for control and self-centeredness that many people have felt bound by as a natural consequence of the early need to survive in the wilds of early times.
However, establishing societies where words such as freedom would be commonly used never extinguished the self-centered tendencies that grip many people so strongly. These tendencies have played a role in driving people to hollow out words such as love and freedom that are often used today. Words such as love and freedom are now often used in contexts totally disconnected from the meanings that were thought about and sacrificed for across so many centuries.
Now, words such as love can mean the opposite of what they should. It is key for Christians to recognize and understand what has happened so as not to be confused about the real meaning of love and to see how the meanings of other virtues have been twisted around by the selfishness found in the human heart. Christians need to find ways to work with the rest of the public to point out how words such as love and freedom have been manipulated and to reestablish their real meanings.