Love DefinedSample

This series, that began with faith and hope (see You Version … Faith – In other Words, and Hope Reframed), is written to help re-frame, re-define, and re-fresh the great biblical themes of faith, hope and love. I hope you are inspired - to have faith, to live in hope, and to express love.  

Love is a slippery old term.  It is positively unreliable unless defined or more to our point, re-defined.  We need to ground an understanding of love in God’s revelation of Himself - in scripture and focused in Jesus. When defined in these terms it is the most wonderful and captivating force in the universe – and the universe is a big place. Being left to the vagaries of how we define love can result in confusion and contradiction, no matter how poetically refined our definitions.  

God’s great love overcomes the world, it overcomes the toxic twins of fear and death. Nothing else can – no philosophy, no political system nor promise, not even the most noble of intentions. Only love, God’s love, is sufficient. And how remarkable that God, by self-definition, is called love: God is love.  His very being and person is love. The triune God has perfect love – love given, love received, and love shared - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Paul writes our text at the end of 1 Corinthians 13, a passage of scripture as familiar to us as we are to the couple with whom we are celebrating their marriage. It is, hands down, the most popular text read out at weddings, regardless of anyone having faith or not. While we celebrate love being core to good relationships Paul’s context was martyrdom and mysteries. I guess marriage can feel at times like martyrdom and mystery, but it was hardly Paul’s point. 

In truth, 1 Corinthians 13 is a deeply challenging text; it is not the stuff of romance and weddings. It defines a love that is uncommon, a love that trumps knowledge and prophetic powers, is greater than the desire for martyrdom, and is greater than mountain moving faith - which would be quite something. Without this love, Paul states we are nothing. That’s bold – nothing! 

Love should define us, as it does God. “God is love.” 

This is love defined.