Love Is

If Jesus Christ is Love
Then I have failed to try

-Eulogy, Five Iron Frenzy

The Love, commanded by the Christian New Testament, is the most revolutionary thing ever seen on the face of this earth. This love, a self sacrificial universal Grace and mercy toward all men, is powerful when actually practiced and propagated. However, sadly, the Christian Church has forgotten the power of this love, and watered it down by confusing it with other, less pure pretenders and we have allowed our prejudice to alter what is intended to be universal and conditional, into something selective and conditional.

I admit, I am by far from practicing this love perfectly. I am a bitter, angry and selfish human being. I spout off about Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness and Patience, but I am Cruel, Unmerciful, Unforgiving and Impatient. I am a hypocrite, I don’t deny it.

Perhaps though, through discussing and sharing our understanding of the love that we all fail to live up to, we can perhaps help taste, touch, see and ultimately spread a little bit more of this revolutionary love that we have lost sight of.

1 Corinthians 13, is very familiar to many Christians. We like to quote it, put it on plaques on the wall etc. But have we ever sat down and thought about it? Went over it line by line and broke it down? I would like to try, and I hope I don’t screw it up too bad. Lord Have Mercy.

“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.”

Paul here makes a very bold claim from the start. He compares Love with the various miracles and visions discussed in the New Testament. He states that if he could know all mysteries, speak the language of angels and move mountains, it comes to nothing if he does not love. He compares the prophet without love, to a mere nuisance, or an annoying noise.

This echos Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus is quoted as saying that the entirety of God’s commandments to man, can be summarized wholly into two greater commandments; Love God with all that we are, and Love our fellow man as if they were us. Paul goes on to describe this love:

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 Is patient Love is Kind. How many of us fuck up this part alone? I am not Patient. I get pissed off and tired of people quickly. I dismiss people who annoy me, rather than trying to know them and love them. I am far from Kind. I have said cruel and unloving things to members of my own family. I am wrathful.

It does not Envy. How many of us want to see others suffer loss because they have something we don’t?

It keeps no records of wrongs. Somewhere in the old Testament (I am ashamed to say I do not remember where), it speaks of God blotting memory of our sin from his mind. If only man could do that. Could you imagine what would happen if we stopped building lists of perceived wrongs, and simply forgot the things done to us?

Love does not delight in evil, but in truth? God…. if only…

It always protects. How often do we throw each other to the wolves? It always Trusts. It always hopes, and it always perseveres. I’ve not lived up to a single one of these so far.

“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.”

Here he reiterates his opening statement, that all knowledge is meaningless, and even childish, compared to love

I know this was not a well written Post. I know I’ve rambled here, instead of crafted. I know that it may seem cliched, but I am moved by just how unloving I am. I am moved by what real love is. I am shocked that the Church as a whole has lost the center of our faith.

Lord have Mercy. Christ have Mercy. Lord Have Mercy.