Fair Love Part 1: Is Love Really Fair?

In this heartfelt episode of 'Teens Draw Near to God,' host Shira Shantay returns to her poetry podcast with a deeply personal and spiritually grounded exploration of love, identity, and authenticity. Centered around the poem 'Fair Love' from her book *Jaundice View*, Shira unpacks the emotional complexity of teenage attraction and the dangers of losing oneself in the pursuit of romantic validation. She emphasizes that true love begins with self-acceptance and drawing near to God, who is the foundation of identity. The episode challenges teens—and adults who guide them—to reject performative relationships and instead embrace authenticity, integrity, and divine purpose in love. Shira shares her own identity crisis in early adulthood as a cautionary tale, urging young people to form their identity early through faith, so they can avoid the pain of later existential confusion.