Corinthians 13 - Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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 perfection comes, the imperfect 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 childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor 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.
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It's amazed what love can bring to us in our everyday life and how powerful we are when we are filled with love. Please enjoy love as much as you can, and you will live and enjoy life, ... everyday of your life!
You are right: Love is a mystery! It is so powerful and yet it is difficult to be defined.
ReplyDeleteBut so is faith, even hope.
Together they are life/soul's sublime yearnings.
Among the three of them, St. Paul said: The greatest is love.
Throughout your recent sharings, it is clear that you felt the same way.
I tend to see love as the less mysterious of the three as it is more easily seen on the emotional surface and better defined in action, while hope and then faith are more hidden at deeper levels.
Likened to an iceberg seen everywhere in the Antartic sea, where one-nineth of it is the visible tip above water and 8-nineths are hidden below water,I would say that the top three-nineths is love (one third of it is clearly seen, and two thirds the unseen mystery), the next 3-nineths deeper down is hope and the lowest, deepest 3-nineths is faith. Ultimately, it is the faith at the very depth of the soul that stabilizes the position and steers the course of life, hope and love including.
Claude
I don't see love as mystery. Instead I would define the 'different types of love': the unconditional love among parents & children; brotherly love among siblings and friends; or passionate love between two people. At various stage of our life, we feel loved. However, although this seems attainable, not many people are privileged to experience true love; or be truly loved.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I would say, to the less fortunate few, don't feel despair - there is always the selfless love from God.
Keep faith, hope....true love will follow.
"Love is in the air, Love's in the air..." don't know you guys still remember this tune in the 70's or not??? What I believe is... if you want love... or want to be loved... you should be the first one to extend your hands... at least with a Big Smile... Love will follow... Faith is a Big Word whenever we can't explain things... I'll say it's more like destiny... Whatever you do and plant now, one day, you'll receive the returns... including LOVE... Never give-up Hope 'cos like buying a lottery ticket... if you don't buy one (or should I simply say participate), you will never WIN!!! @..@
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