Vol. 18 No. 29 | July 25, 2016
Paul wrote these words: “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.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV)
This one paragraph in what many call the “Love Chapter” is a small portion of a letter written to a church that struggled with just about every problem imaginable. In what seems to be his best effort to bring peace to their volatile situation he writes these words describing the one thing possible solution: love.
It appears that as Paul pondered the things going on in Corinth the Spirit provided him with the words that were the opposite of what he was seeing among the Christians there in Corinth. He saw impatience and unkindness, envy, boasting and pride. He saw Christians who were dishonoring other Christians, acting out of selfishness, easily becoming easily angered, and holding grudges. He seems to basking where’s the love?
Reading these words in the context of the events of our day in our communities, political arena, and even in some churches, we ask the same question: where’s the love?
Words of love were sparse to say the least during last week’s Republican National Convention.
It is not likely the language will be much different in this week’s Democratic National Convention.
Although there are references to something that sometimes resembles love you really do not hear much about it in news reports.
Many homes are filled with language that expresses feelings far different from the languages of love.
Work places are commonly known for the conversations that take place during breaks, lunch hours, office parties but it may not be the same kind of love that Paul describes in his writing.
The language that Paul uses describing the truest love there may or may not be found in those places, but perhaps that was never the intent. Paul is writing to Christians. He is writing to those of us who claim to walk with Jesus and like Jesus, and encouraging us to live the life of love. Live in our homes. Live it in our work places. Live it in our schools. And definitely live it in our churches.
It is not the task of politicians to speak and demonstrate the love that Paul describes. It is not the task of the corporate world to speak and demonstrate the love that Paul describes. It is not the task of news media to speak and demonstrate the love that Paul describes.
It is my responsibility to speak and demonstrate the language of 1 Corinthians 13. It is your responsibility, if you claim to follow Jesus, to speak and demonstrate the language of 1 Corinthians 13. It is the responsibility of the church to speak and demonstrate the language of 1 Corinthians 13.
Where is the love? Hopefully the search will be found with and in the people of God.
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2016. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.