One of the words that is overused and so often misunderstood is the word love. We love everything from movies, to cars, to certain foods and even pieces of clothing. While this use of the word conveys an amount of liking something, it is far from the definition of love as we see it in the scriptures.
Today’s first reading from Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians is his long definition of love. Paul reflects the whole biblical notion of love in these words.
Love is defined in the context of human relationship and is always seen as the glue that binds people together. Paul does not refer to love as a fleeting feeling, but rather as a consistent and sustaining force in life.
What I think is so valuable about this reading is that he gives very concrete examples of how love is expressed. Love is patient and kind, not pompous nor inflated; it is not self-centered not does it brood over injuries; it celebrates the goodness and righteousness in others and is always hopeful and positive. Love lasts into eternity.
Paul of course is talking about the perfect expression of love here; and we know none of us is that perfect. However he is also telling us about who God is, because God is Love and personifies love in all its perfection. Someone once said that in reading this scripture, we could substitute the word love with the word God and we would get a very clear, and pragmatic picture of who God is.
Paul puts before us today the perfect love that each of us strives for in our relationships with one another and with God. We may stumble and fall but the greatness of God’s love is that it is also merciful and forgiving. And so we pick ourselves up, we seek pardon, and we begin again.
He tells us that in the end, what lasts and endures are faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.