If you’ve ever been to a wedding, then you’ve probably heard 1 Corinthians 13 and what it has to say about love: “Love is patient, love is kind” and so forth. That chapter ends with the refrain “But the greatest of these is love.” The author of Corinthians was saying that faith, hope and love remain, from childhood to adulthood, even when dreams do not come true, and things do not turn out the way we thought they would. I agree. And I also believe that among the 12 Core Values … the greatest of these is Love.
In the pages and essays of this website, I have typed many letters and stroked many keys about how things are and how things ought to be. I have told you that within Community we should present and grasp Opportunities to Serve. I have advised that in our professional lives our Productivity when honed and refined yields Effectiveness that leads to Innovation. I have pointed out that when seeking Health & Safety for our family, our own Protection must be tempered with others’, and that Expression is a cherished right. But in light of all I’ve seen lately, I think the most important thing I have to say … is that the greatest of these is Love. In our spirits, Love is a gift and a reward. The power of Love allows us to Respect each other and tell the Truth, even when it is difficult and feels dangerous or risky. And Love is a reward, a renewable resource, an inspiration and a source of restraint.
Perhaps you’ve heard 1 Corinthians 13 many times or perhaps not ever. In wedding ceremonies it is in the context of a marriage. But read and hear these words in the context of a world of tribes, a world of people that feel they have competing interests, a world of groups who tend to blame the “others” for their own problems. Imagine the healing and unifying power of Love: “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. Love never fails.”
I want to live in a world of Love.