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Musings on Faith #36 Christian Love Shall Abide | |
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Thomas Jefferson once said that the key word in regard to the Greek and Roman gods was power, in regard to the Old Testament was fear, and in regard to the New Testament is love. Whether you agree with the first two, it is hard to dispute the third. Love is the major theme of the New Testament. Jesus continually taught his disciples about love. Love your neighbor as yourself, love one another, love your enemies, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The books written by John are centered on love. And Paul penned perhaps the most famous passage on love ever written, 1st Corinthians, Chapter 13. "Love is patient (suffereth long), love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude (does not behave ... unseemly), it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered (provoked), it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects (beareth all things), always trusts ( believeth all things), always hopes, always perseveres (endureth all things). Love never fails (1st Corinthians 13:4-8a , NIV; words in parens, KJV)." It is easy to see that the love Paul speaks of here is not the debased definition of the word the modern, secular world has imparted to it. This, rather, is love in its truest sense: the love that comes from God and is |
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implanted in our hearts and imprinted upon our minds. This is a love which we, as the imperfect creatures we are, can seldom attain, but which is immeasurably worthy of striving for. And in that striving, we must not forget that is usually unattainable without a close and constant relationship with the Lord, for it is the love of the Lord about which this passage is written. In this present age of turmoil and uncertainty, love is the answer we need to reach out for. It is the love which will bind and sustain us– both the love of god for us, and the love which we have, and exhibit in actions and words, for one another. In the King James version of the scriptures, this word, love, is translated "charity". Taken together, these two words, love and charity, help us to understand the kind of love Paul is talking about, for the love without charity is not love at all. Neither is charity without love. It appears that we may be facing darker days ahead in our beloved Country, and around the world. It is a time, even if we come to a point of poverty in our own lives, in which the love expressed in Chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians will be our strength and our refuge, as we love one another in accordance with God's will . Yours in Christ, Tom Woodard |
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