I heard a talk about “How far is too far.” This is an interesting question. It is a question that pops up all too often with regards to different sins. The question is really not a good question. By asking this question the line is already being crossed. Maybe a better question would be, “Does what I am doing help my relationship with God or others or does it hurt it?” Many times our focus gets to be on ourselves. And when we do this, we look at other people or things as objects for our pleasure. We can then look to God as the vending machine who gives me what I want. “How far is too far” leads to using others. Truly an even better question is, “Will what I am doing help me to love this person or thing?” Because love is willing the good of another. It is about love, and everyone deep down wants to receive love; first, the love of God and then of others. And if it is about love, we should focus on not what the line in the sand is, or were the point of no return is. Rather, we should focus on being brothers and sisters who love first. Love never seeks to use others or things. Love doesn’t use God! I know that I want to be loved, and that I hate being used. Truly the opposite of love is not hate, rather it to use another. None of us likes to be used, and this includes God. So if we are asking the question, “How far is too far,” we have already gone too far and we are not loving. God is love. And He will always love you and me no matter what, but we need to remember that God wills the good in us because He is love, and yet He will not force Himself upon us (love is free and without force). So if we are asking this question we have already moved out of love and into use.
Fr. Thomas P. Galarneault