Forgiving Paul

Some of you might be staying far away from these posts for fear that the lightening headed my way might have the ability to travel via the web.

In two different conversations with good friends, one via written correspondence, we have talked about the way we try to hard to meet up to our own unrealistic expectations that we construct partly from comparison with others.  This chapter of I Corinthians is powerful, and makes me want to linger here for awhile.  It makes me realize that if I really understood what love was - how to love and how God loves - the significance of achievement and whatever else we strive for would fall away.  Paul introduces chapter 13's theme as better than all else.  For this, perhaps I can work with him.  I invite you to let the following words sink into your spirit and help focus your day. This translation is less poetic and melodious, but lends a fresh and modern perspective.

If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or clanging symbol.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good  would it be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love, it would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.


Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.


Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear. Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear. 


It's like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does.  But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. 


There are three things that will endure--faith, hope and love--and the greatest of these is love.