Joe tagged me.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)
1: Name one idea that used to be seen as a key Christian theme, but is nowadays regarded as either irrelevant or outdated, although you think it still has a lot to offer.
2. In two sentences say something about why you selected this, and why it should be recovered or renewed.
3. Tag three people.
1: Love. Now this is not a conscious theme that is never used now, but it struck me that love seems to be on the back burner within the Church and society in general.
2: Now it won't be two sentences I'll be using because I can't squeeze my thoughts into such a short space! Our society is plagued by bitter squabbles and pettiness. Politicians argue and try to score points against each other on very minor issues: “He said,” “She said,” type banality. Celebrities, the focal point to many people's lives, sell stories of kiss and tell and try to run each other into the ground for personal gain.
Now the Church is called to be a shining light in a dark world and unfortunately get caught in the same traps. The Anglican Church is marred by issues of allowing women to be bishops. The Catholic Church has far too many issues surrounding the exact opposite of love. The Evangelical Church like to tear pieces out of one another regarding the meaning of Jesus' death on the cross. The American Church has many who will deride you and expel you if you support evolution. And the gay community finds it is suffering from prejudice in pretty much every denomination.
Jesus said to his disciples that they should love on another and the world will know they are his followers. This seems to be a theme Jesus wanted to be carried through forever. So much bitterness and petty squabbling though takes centre stage and the simple notion of loving each other is put way down on the list.
The passage from 1 Corinthians (which is probably overlooked because of its overuse at weddings) calls people remember what it means to love. I was told once to replace the word love with my name. Am I patient, kind, not easily angered, modest, able to forgive quickly and forget? Many times no, but the Church and society need a wake up call to centre our lives on these mantras. I am a hopeless romantic and rather naïve because maybe I do watch Moulin Rouge too much and believe all you need is love. But surely if love was a central theme to how the Church operated (as opposed to paying it lip service) then it would be a shining light into society and maybe society would start to see each other in love and not materialistic gain and ways to suck the life out of each other.
Love is a painful thing because it means you have to make sacrifices and accept some things don't change, but love also means you see people in a new light and look for the best in them, regardless of who they are and what mistakes they have made; after all we all make mistakes. If our motivation is love though, then surely we won't be so plagued by the shit and mindless crap that dominates our days and weeks.
It's rather simple, but I would like to think Jesus said it because he wanted his followers to see the simplicity of it.
3: I don't tag anyone, but welcome feedback.
Really enjoyed reading this Tom, and challenged as well. I think a key point being that true love is painful - and is therefore not very 'popular'.
ReplyDeleteIt also raises questions about those who believe they are acting with the motivation of love but their actions are seen to be unloving by others
I guess if the motivation of love is there, then the qualities of Paul's love passage will come through. I like to think that acting out of love means you do show those patient, kind, humble qualities.
ReplyDeleteIt also depends what we define as love. Obviously I come at it from a different angle, but still believe love is something that would mean you would put your life on the line for someone.
Of course there's a fine line because many fundamentalists do indeed put their life on the line, but love is not the motivation.
I suppose I see loving actions to seek to always honour and respect someone and see them flourish. Which does, like you write, mean that can be very painful if what's best for them doesn't mean it's best for you...
I really like this mate. I suspect you're really onto something here. I have thought for a little while now that the church has forgotton how to truely love. Like I have said before, with church working itself out the way it does week in week out, then true love is difficult to practice and build. Staring at each others heads for a couple of hours each week isn't doing it!
ReplyDeleteAnd the whole issue of consummerism changing our relationships in church is a massive factor too.
Some in church confuse God's 'honour' with love too and think somehow honour is the most important thing. They are wrong.
Love is hard work and at times brutal and so church has at times taken the easy road. But we're called to lay down are lives for ewach other.
Love... you're really onto something there!
Of course I would want to say that wherever there is real love there is God! ;0)
I definitely believe love causes something profound. And although I don't believe it is the presence of God, I do know it is something unexplainable at times.
ReplyDeleteI do think real love is ugly at times and that's the beauty of it. So many people though mistake lust, want or neediness for love. Although those factors do have a part to play in it.
I guess I have found so many people within the church using conditional love, which isn't love at all. Actually, regardless of being in the church or not, conditional love is used a lot. It's when you love someone simply because it's who they are that you're on to something.