Love

I read through the book of 1 Corinthians a few weeks ago. Like most people, I have heard chapter 13 quoted many times. You know it, its the one about love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast.” Etc.

What really hit me this time through it was a little farther down in the chapter. In verse 8 Paul starts comparing love to the gifts of knowledge and prophecy.

“8b But where there are prophecies they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled.”

What Paul is saying is that in the end, when we are with God, we will not need to prophecy because we will already be in the presence of God. We will not speak in tongues because our spirits will be completely in tune with God. Faith will be evident and hope will all be fulfilled.

Out of all these things, once the world ends and is renewed. Once faith is no longer necessary and all hope, everything that’s been promised has been fulfilled. Once all this happens, love will still be happening. This active thing is the foundation of faith.

Jesus said the greatest command was to “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” (Mark 12:30,31)
Obviously he is not talking about romantic love, he is talking about active love, loving someone in action. By treating them like they are worth something. Check out Luke 10:25-37

Isn’t it amazing how the greatest commandment is one that everyone can do?
You have people in the world who can’t prophecy, who can’t speak publicly, who can’t talk in tongues. But this one thing he has given us the capacity to do, and that is to love.
It just blows my mind that the greatest thing we are commanded to do is one of the basics.
I wonder how that would look, if we all started following this out?