Love is... (Pt 1)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:1-7 ESV).

While thinking through the events of this year thus far I have caught myself discounting the importance of the first half of 2020. It will be long remembered as a regrettable year for many people. It has been difficult for Mary and I as well. Be that as it is, I cannot deny the absolute truth that God has something special in mind for us. This is true for every believer taken along this journey. Following that thought I went back in time over fifty years ago to our wedding day. There were lots of pictures made. One of them is shown here. It was almost casual. What I have learned is that it may have been the most important memory captured of that day. Placing our hands together over this very text in our reading today is the secret. So, today we will begin to look at a central principle in the Scripture that is often ignored or neglected in our modern culture. It is tucked in the midst of the instructions from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian Church. Jesus spoke of this principle often as well: Believers are to be known for their love for one another (cf. John 13:34-35). Over the next week I’m going to look at one of the principles briefly noted by the apostle. There are seven of them:  Learn to be strong but not impolite. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.  Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake weakness for kindness. Kindness isn't weak.  Learn to be bold but not a bully. Real love takes a shepherd, not a driver.  Learn to be humble but not timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. But humility is a virtue; timidity is a disease.  Learn to be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to build your ambitions. It takes pride in your community. It takes pride in a cause, in accomplishment.  Learn to develop humor without folly. We must learn that it's good to be witty but not silly; fun but not foolish.  Learn to deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony of delusion. Life is unique. Every believer is unique. We have different gifts, abilities, and characteristics. Every believer is essential to the health of the family and community of faith.