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A couple years ago I finally took a map reading and compass course. I have not put those teachings into practice since. But if I did, I would be using my compass to get a sense of direction, take a bearing, and follow it through the woods and wilderness. To reach a destination; maybe to guide others, if I dare.
Today we heard in scripture a great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. The church in Corinth, Greece, is being told a lot of things to correct their path, in the midst of their big, cosmopolitan city, long ago. And they seemed to need a lot of correction. How to get to love, how to be more loving, how to love one another and their neighbours as themselves. Primarily, this chapter is not about couples getting married; firstly, it is about a local church learning to be loving.
So, let us have a brief dialogue on the many things about what love is; the things Paul happens to mention here. Fifteen of you can be the fifteen bits of character formation that go into expressing Love. How do each of these things - some positive, and some negative - crop up in a congregation? Can you give one example of what a good thing looks like? Or how a bad thing is counteracted? As we talk, remember, God is in the business of developing us. Making us people of greater love, compassion, care. Love takes character development - our work with the work of the Holy Spirit.
Who will say how being patient happens in a church?
Being envious?
Being kind?
Being boastful?
Rejoicing in the truth?
Being rude?
Bearing all things?
Insisting on your own way?
Believing all things?
Being irritable?
Hoping all things?
Being resentful?
Enduring all things?
Rejoicing in wrongdoing?
Love never ending or running out?
So, we have joined together to be transformed into a loving fellowship. Like those Christians in Corinth, we need guidance. Like the Jews in Jesus’ hometown Synagogue, we need preaching to challenge us to love our neighbour, the stranger in our midst, even our enemies. For God is Lover and Carer for them all. Despite what many in our world are saying and doing right now.
We may feel hopeless or even desperate about our role in this world today. What difference can we make when boasting and being rude and insisting on getting our own way are all making a comeback? It is still our calling to speak love. To speak truth to power. To show mercy.
Jesus in his home Synagogue today spoke how God’s mercy was actually often for the foreigner, the stranger, those outside. The bad reaction to Jesus reminded me of this parable from the 19th century Christian thinker, Sꝋren Kierkegaard. What happens to those who try to warn this present age?
It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought it was just a [joke] and applauded. He repeated his warning, they shouted even louder. So I think the world will come to and end amid the general applause of all the [witty people], who believe that it is a joke.
Love, the love of God, is joyful, but it is no joke. We are still ‘saved for good works.’ We still are asked and led by Christ to be patient & kind, rejoice in what is true; bear, believe, hope and endure all things. And this love never runs out. We can’t understand or explain it all. But we can still join it, and do it.