Lust vs. Love: Desire, Control, and the Longing to Be Seen
What is the difference between lust and love? In this episode of Converging Paths, Rev. Eric Elnes, Rabbi Brian Mayer, and Esther Freinkel-Tishman explore lust not simply as sexual desire, but as grasping, control, and objectification — and love as mutuality, spaciousness, and the freedom to let another person be fully real. Drawing on Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist wisdom, the conversation moves from Bathsheba and the Song of Songs to crushes, covenant, perfectionism, leadership, and the deep human longing to be seen. Thoughtful, funny, and surprisingly practical, this episode uncovers why lust may be far more than temptation — and why love asks something radically different of us.
