SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 1:4-10 & I Corinthians 13:1-13
YOU WOULD THINK LOVE WOULD BE ONE OF THE EASIER THINGS TO PREACH ABOUT, WOULDN'T YOU? LIKE THE BEATLES USED TO SING, ALL WE NEED IS LOVE, RIGHT? WELL, IF I WERE WRITING THE VERSE FOR A VALENTINE CARD, THIS WOULD BE TRUE. BUT TRYING TO EXPRESS THE KIND OF LOVE THAT GOD IS ALL ABOUT IS SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT AND NOT NEARLY AS EASY.
THIS PASSAGE FROM PAUL'S LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS IS ARGUABLY THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE. THE MORE WEDDINGS WE GO TO, THE MORE WE HEAR IT READ. AND IF THE PREACHER IS ANY GOOD AT ALL, WE KNOW THAT PAUL'S LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A FLUFFY WHITE DRESS, BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND DANCING TO YOUR FAVORITE TUNE WITH YOUR ONE AND ONLY.
THE HISTORIC CRITICAL CONTEXT IN WHICH THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN WAS FAR MORE DISTURBING THAN A PERSON'S WEDDING DAY.
THE PEOPLE OF THE CHURCH AT CORINTH WERE HAVING REAL TROUBLE GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER. THEY HAD ABOUT AS MANY DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT THE WAY THINGS SHOULD BE DONE AS THEY HAD DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
EACH ONE, IT SEEMS, HAD A DIFFERENT GIFT FOR EXPRESSING FAITH. SOME OF THEM SPOKE IN TONGUES, THAT ECSTATIC LANGUAGE WHICH IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND. SOME WERE MORE PROPHETIC IN THEIR SPEECH; THEIR WORDS WERE CAREFULLY CRAFTED AND WISELY PUT TOGETHER IN SUCH A WAY THAT EVERYONE COULD UNDERSTAND. SOME NEVER SPOKE A WORD, BUT HAD THE KIND OF FAITH THAT COULD BRING HEALING AND MIRACLES RIGHT INTO THE MIDST OF THE HUMAN CONDITION. AND SOME DIDN'T SPEAK OR KEEP SILENT-THEY WORKED, THEY SOLD ALL THEY HAD AND GAVE IT TO THE POOR.
NOW IT SEEMS THAT SOCIAL CLICKS HAD FORMED AROUND THESE DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH, AND THE DIVISIONS IN THE BODY WERE KILLING THE MISSION AND MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH, WHICH JUST SOUNDS ALL TOO FAMILIAR TO TODAY'S SITUATION, BOTH IN THE WORLD AND IN THE BODY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. HUMAN BEINGS DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO EMBRACE DIFFERENCES THEN, AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO EMBRACE DIFFERENCES NOW. SO EVEN IF WE THINK WE HAVE HEARD THIS SCRIPTURE 1000 TIMES AND WE GET THE POINT, THE FACTS BEAR REPEATING.
IN A NUTSHELL, NO EXPRESSION OF FAITH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN LOVE. AND ALL EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH WITHOUT LOVE ARE NOT FAITH.
LOVE IS SUPERIOR TO ALL EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH BECAUSE…
LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND.
LOVE REJOICES IN TRUTH.
LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS.
LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS.
LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS.
LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS.
LOVE NEVER ENDS, EVEN AS ALL EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH WILL COME TO AN END IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
LOVE IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS US TOGETHER AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD AND THE HUMAN RACE.
AND THE STICKINESS OF THAT GLUE BECOMES VERY CLEAR AS WE HEAR JUST EXACTLY WHAT LOVE IS NOT!
LOVE IS NOT ENVIOUS, BOASTFUL, ARROGANT OR RUDE.
LOVE DOES NOT INSIST ON HAVING ITS OWN WAY.
LOVE IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL.
LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN WRONGDOING.
LOVE IS NOT FOR THE SHY IN WISDOM AND THE SLOW IN MATURITY.
LOVE IS SOMETHING THAT CAN ONLY BE CARRIED OUT BY A PERSON CLEAR OF MIND AND PURE OF HEART.
AND LIFE IS ONE LONG PROCESS OF GROWING UP TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
IN OTHER WORDS, LOVE TAKES A LOT OF WORK ON OUR PART TO TRANSCEND OUR NATURAL CARNAL TENDENCIES, BUT THE WORK IS WELL WORTH IT!
THE GREAT PHILOSOPHER AND THEOLOGIAN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, C. S. LEWIS, WROTE A BOOK CALLED THE FOUR LOVES. IN THIS BOOK HE DOES A MARVELOUS JOB OF EXPRESSING THE COMPLEXITY OF ALL THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE THAT ARE A PART OF OUR HUMAN EXPERIENCE. HE IDENTIFIES THE FOUR DIFFERENT LOVES AS AFFECTION, FRIENDSHIP, EROS (OR EROTIC LOVE), AND CHARITY. AND AFTER IDENTIFYING THE LOVES HE GIVES A WONDERFUL DEFENSE FOR EACH, GATHERING ALL THE PARTS TOGETHER TO SPEAK OF LOVE, WITH A CAPTIAL "L". AND AS HE WOVE THESE THEMES TOGETHER HE DID A MARVELOUS JOB OF GROUNDING EVERY HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN "NEED-LOVE" AND "GIVE-LOVE."
NEED-LOVE IS THE KIND OF LOVE THAT SENDS A FRIGHTENED CHILD INTO THE ARMS OF HER MOTHER. AND GIFT-LOVE IS WHAT CAUSES A MAN TO WORK HARD AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF A FAMILY HE WILL NEVER KNOW. NEED-LOVE IS FOCUSSED INWARD.
GIFT-LOVE LOVE IS FOCUSSED OUT, UPON SOMEONE ELSE.
IN HIS INTRODUCTION, LEWIS TELLS OF HOW HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO BE WRITING A BOOK THAT WAS DISPARAGING OF NEED-LOVE AND AT THE SAME TIME GIVING HIGH PRAISE TO GIFT-LOVE. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO WRITE THIS UNTIL HE REALIZED HOW VERY MUCH HUMAN BEINGS NEED GOD'S LOVE AND WHAT A GOOD THING IT IS FOR US TO FEEL THIS LOVE AND REACH OUT TO OUR CREATOR TO FIND IT. HE SAYS, "[THE HUMAN] APPROACHES GOD MOST NEARLY WHEN HE [OR SHE] IS IN ONE SENSE LEAST LIKE GOD." (PG. 4 OF THE FOUR LOVES) SO WHEN WE ARE OUR NEEDIEST IS WHEN WE ARE MOST LIKELY TO TURN TO GOD FOR THE LOVE WE NEED. THIS IS WHEN WE CAN DRAW THE NEAREST TO GOD, AND THIS IF A VERY GOOD THING.
JUST THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE OF GIFT-LOVE. WHEN WE ARE NOT SO NEEDY, WE ARE MOST LIKE GOD IN OUR ABILITY TO GIVE-LOVE.
BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, WE RUN THE RISK OF GETTING HUNG UP ON OUR OWN GRANDIOSITY, AND THE GIVE-LOVE IN US CAN BECOME A MONSTER.
LEWIS SAYS IT THIS WAY, "I MUST EXPLAIN WHY I HAVE FOUND THIS DISTINCTION NECESSARY TO ANY TREATMENT OF OUR LOVES.
ST. JOHN'S SAYING THAT GOD IS LOVE HAS LONG BEEN BALANCED IN MY MIND AGAINST THE REMARK OF A MODERN AUTHOR (M. DENIS de ROUGEMONT) THAT 'LOVE CEASES TO BE A DEMON ONLY WHEN HE CEASES TO BE A GOD'; WHICH OF COURSE CAN BE RE-STATED IN THE FORM 'BEGINS TO BE A DEMON THE MOMENT HE BEGINS TO BE A GOD.' THIS BALANCE SEEMS TO ME AN INDISPENSIBLE SAFEGUARD. IF WE IGNORE IT THE TRUTH THAT GOD IS LOVE MAY SLYLY COME TO MEAN FOR US THE CONVERSE, THAT LOVE IS GOD." (PP 6 & 7 OF THE FOUR LOVES)
I THINK THIS STATEMENT IS A PROFOUND EXPRESSION OF WHY LOVE IS SO DIFFICULT TO PREACH ABOUT. IN OUR CULTURE WE TOO QUICKLY COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT LOVE IS GOD RATHER THAN GOD IS LOVE. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT ALL LOVE BEGINS AND ENDS WITH GOD, AND WE ARE JUST A CIRCULAR EXTENSION OF THAT ETERNITY. IT IS NOT OUR ABILITY TO GIVE-LOVE OR NEED-LOVE THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN THIS WORLD. YES, WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT LOVE IS AND THE TIMES WHEN WE GIVE-LOVE AND THE TIMES WHEN WE NEED-LOVE. WE NEED TO BOTH GIVE AND RECEIVE LOVE IN ALL THE DIFFERENT FORMS LOVE CAN TAKE, BUT WHAT IS ULTIMATELY MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT LOVE IS MORE POWERFUL AND PRESENT THAN ANYTHING ELSE. AND GOD IS LOVE. IT'S A CIRCLE THAT NEVER ENDS. GOD-LOVE IS ETERNITY, AND THAT'S JUST THE THING TO REMEMBER WHEN WE FEEL AS IF THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THIS WORLD AND DISPARE SEEMS TO BE ALL AROUND US. GOD-LOVE-THE-LOVE-IS WHERE IT ALL BEGINS AND ENDS.
ELIE WIESEL, JEWISH THEOLOGIAN, PROLIFIC AUTHOR AND HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR HAS WRITTEN HIS LIFE'S MEMOIRS IN A BOOK ENTITLED ALL RIVERS RUN TO THE SEA. MR. WIESEL HAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE UNDERSTANDING ABOUT GOD-LOVE OF ANY HUMAN BEING I KNOW OF. IN ONE PORTION OF HIS MEMOIRS WIESEL TELLS OF HIS FAMILY LIVING IN HUNGARY DURING THE DESPARTE TIMES OF WORLD WAR II. THE NAZIS WERE ALL AROUND THEM, AND HIS FAMILY WAS JUST WAITING FOR THEIR TIME TO COME.
DURING THIS DARK PERIOD, THE WIESEL FAMILY HAD A VERY GOOD FRIEND IN A CHRISTIAN PEASANT WOMAN NAMED MARIA, WHO HAD BECOME ALMOST LIKE A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE WAR SHE NEVER STOPPED VISITING HER FRIENDS. AND LATER, WHEN THE JEWS WERE HELD IN GHETTOS AND SHE WAS NO LONGER ALLOWED ENTRANCE INTO WHERE HER GOOD FRIENDS LIVED, SHE FOUND A WAY TO SNEAK IN ANYWAY. CRAWLING THROUGH THE BARBED WIRE, SHE WOULD BRING THEM FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND CHEESES FOR NOURISHMENT.
ONE DAY MARIA SHOWED UP ON THE WIESEL'S DOORSTEP WITH A PLAN. THERE WAS A CABIN SHE OWNED, UP IN THE HILLS. SHE WANTED TO TAKE THE CHILDREN, OF WHICH ELI WAS ONE, AND HIDE THEM THERE BEFORE THE SS CAME TO TAKE THEM AWAY. THEY DECIDED AFTER MUCH DEBATE TO STAY TOGETHER AS A FAMILY, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE DEEPLY MOVED AT THIS GESTURE. IN WIESEL'S OWN WORDS HE SAYS, "DEAR MARIA. IF OTHER CHRISTIANS HAD ACTED LIKE HER, THE TRAINS ROLLING TOWARD THE UNKNOWN WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS CROWDED. IF PRIESTS AND PASTORS HAD RAISED THEIR VOICES, IF THE VATICAN HAD BROKEN ITS SILENCE, THE ENEMY'S HAND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO FREE. BUT MOST THOUGHT ONLY OF THEMSELVES. A JEWISH HOME WAS BARELY EMPTIED OF ITS INHABITANTS BEFORE THEY DESCENDED LIKE VULTURES."
HE GOES ON TO SAY, "I THINK OF MARIA OFTEN, WITH AFFECTION AND GRATITUDE, AND WITH WONDER AS WELL. THIS SIMPLE, UNEDUCATED WOMAN STOOD TALLER THAN THE CITY'S INTELLECTUALS, DIGNITARIES AND CLERGY. MY FATHER HAD MANY ACQUAINTANCES AND EVEN FRIENDS IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, NOT ONE OF THEM SHOWED THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER OF THIS PEASANT WOMAN.
OF WHAT VALUE WAS THEIR FAITH, THEIR EDUCATION, THEIR SOCIAL POSITION, IF IT DID NOT AROUSE THEIR LOVE? IT WAS A SIMPLE AND DEVOUT CHRISTIAN WOMAN WHO SAVED THE TOWN'S HONOR." (PG. ?)
"IF I SPEAK IN THE TONGUES OF MORTALS AND OF ANGELS, BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I AM A NOISY GONG OR A CLANGING CYMBAL.
AND IF I HAVE PROPHETIC POWERS, AND UNDERSTAND ALL MYSTERIES AND ALL KNOWLEDGE, AND IF I HAVE ALL FAITH, SO AS TO REMOVE MOUNTAINS, BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I AM NOTHING. IF I GIVE AWAY ALL MY POSSESSIONS, AND IF I HAND OVER MY BODY SO THAT I MAY BOAST, BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I GAIN NOTHING."
MY FRIENDS, AS WE GATHER AROUND THIS TABLE OF LOVE TODAY, I WOULD LEAVE US ALL WITH ONE QUESTION, A QUESTION THAT I HOPE AND PRAY WILL FORM IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
OF WHAT VALUE IS OUR FAITH, OUR EDUCATION, OUR SOCIAL POSITION, IF IT DOES NOT AROUSE OUR LOVE?
MAY WE ALWAYS AND FOREVER FEEL OUR CONNECTION WITHIN THE CIRCLE OF GOD'S ETERNAL LOVE. MAY WE SEEK TO GIVE-LOVE AND NEED-LOVE KNOWING FULL WELL THAT GOD IS LOVE. AND MAY WE DRAW OURSELVES AND OTHERS CLOSE TO THE LOVE AT ALL TIMES AND IN ALL PLACES.
ALLELUIA! AMEN!
Posted by sachauncey at February 3, 2004 02:13 AM