I've been away for a little while, I'm not sure anyone has missed me - but now I've returned from holiday I'll try and be a bit better.
I've been reflecting a lot on this passage just recently from 1 Corinthians 13 - you'll probably know it well, but please - read it through.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poorand give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
This is one of my most favourite pieces of scripture. It's regularly used in weddings, although as far as I know none of my couples who are getting married this year have chosen it, so perhaps it's become a bit "over used" and fallen out of favour a bit.
Now of course, we can see why it's popular for weddings, but I think the lesson's it can teach us go well beyond the love that those who get married feel for one another.
Jesus commands us all to Love God and Love our Neighbour, saying these are the greatest commandments. Now this was never intended to be the place for me to write a full on sermon, maybe those at St Paul's will be fortunate (or not) enough to hear me reflect on this passage further at a future date - but for now, I offer it to you to think over. Have a read again.
I was really pleased to go in and offer this week's 'Thought of the Day' as part of Justine Greene's BBC Radio Coventry show this morning. This passage was very much in my heart as I prepared. You can listen to it here, or read it below.
I promise, I'll be back...
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about weddings and about love this week, and a passage which is often chosen in weddings is that famous one from 1 Corinthians 13. I’m sure you’ll have heard it, it’s the one where St. Paul describes the many attributes of Love: He says it’s patient, it’s kind – it doesn’t boast, it isn’t proud or rude or selfish. It isn’t easily angered and it keeps no records of wrong.
As we’ve looked at the news over the last few weeks, we’ve seen stories which can really warm the heart – Just an example, I’m not a big football fan – but even I was inspired by the team work shown by the England team. At various times, we saw how generous the players were to one another, holding their love of the game, their country – and more importantly, each other, far above any selfish ambitions.
But often when we look at the news - love is a bit harder for us to see. I wonder how our world stage would look if those in positions of leadership on all sides showed a bit more kindness and a bit more patience towards one another.
This lack of love isn’t just out there in the big wide world. I suspect we can all think of people who at some point in our lives have treated us in a less than loving way. Perhaps we can also think of people who we’ve failed to love as we should have done.
Now, of course - loving one another isn’t always easy. In the wedding service in this country, we use the words “I will” rather than the American “I do” that we see in all the films. This is because Love is far more than a feeling which can be measured day by day. Love is a commitment, here the couple sayI will love you, I will be the best spouse I can be.
And of course, love goes well beyond the love which some of experience when we get married. Jesus tells us that Loving God, and Loving our Neighbour are the greatest commandments. Regardless of who we need to show more love towards, sometimes it will take work.
There was an 8th Century christian monk who decided that he wanted to change the world. After a while he concluded that was a bit hard, so he decided to just try and change the nation. This was a bit hard as well, so he decided to just try and change his town. Unsurprisingly, this was nearly impossible so he decided to just try to change his family.
By this point he was quite old, and he realised the only thing he could change was himself. As they began to do this, he realised that had he done this to start with, he might well have changed his family. If that had happened, he may well have seen change in the town, which in turn may have changed the nation and possibly the world.
I love that story, because it reminds us of the truth that often that largest changes can come from the smallest of acts.
Love comes from God, 1 John 4 says that God IS Love, and those who live in Love live in God, and God lives in them. We are all, each and everyone one of us, extraordinarily loved by God.
I want to reflect the love that God has for me into the world by the way I treat others. By doing these small acts of love, I might just change the culture of those around me – and in that, we might have more impact than we realise. I wonder, will you join me?
