There are all kinds of perceptions of the word love. To each it means something different. I don't intend to come up with any one definition, but rather explore all kinds of different angles.
Regardless of your faith, religion or spiritual belief, chances are you may have encountered some Christian scripture in the course of your life. One of the more common pieces talks about and attempts to define love. I thought it might be fun to dissect it - consider its components. I don't have any answers, only more questions! Let me know what you think...
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
Wow, all kinds of adjectives and adverbs!
Is this a definition that would describe friendship love, family love or romantic love? What about love for humanity? (perhaps I will post separately on all four)
"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude."
I know lots of people whom I would describe as exhibiting these qualities. Is this describing love or defining it?
"It does not insist on its own way;"
So love must be flexible, open-minded?
"it is not irritable or resentful;"
Secure in its own being?
"it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth."
Strong enough to stand for what is right?
"It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Is this saying that love "is"?
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About Me
- Turtle Guy
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- English student, Pottery enthusiast, Yoga novice and lover of all people. I make friends over a warm handshake and a beverage. I discover, every day, someone willing to help me along my path.
11 comments:
To me it is. Paul went off the rails from time to time but I think he nailed it here.
It's also the chapter that goes on to say "now we see through a glass darkly" and "when I was a child I spake as a child".
Check out the blog when you have a chance.
Off the rails - no kidding! What was that about "a man is best not to marry"? It would be interesting to pose to Paul some of the same questions I've noted here. Translations often take away from texts... something as simple as the placement or ommission of a comma!
It is better to marry than to burn.
I'm no Bible expert by any means but many people believe Paul expected the "end" to occur during his lifetime and much of his writing was slanted accordingly.
Personally, I think he spent much of his life trying to overcome things he thought of as sinful. And, he was a convert and a zealot. God save me from a reformed anything.
True about translations as well. I think it's finally been established that Paul didn't write the Epistle to the Hebrews (no one know exactly who or how many did) but it's still printed in my old King James Version as Paul's Epistle. If they got that wrong, they can certainly get the translations incorrect or even slanted to suit personal beliefs.
Sorry - this is your blog, not mine. Go back and read Ephesians for some of his supposed feelings about women.
And then check Romans 8:38 for Paul at his best instead of worst.
Love is grand! me and hubby always say when we are upset about money that we are "RICH IN LOVE". its one of the best feelings to have.
thanks for stopping by my blog...hope you continue to stop in...i will do the same :)
hugs and have a great day
I really like Dr. MLK's three kinds of love, ending with agape...
that for me says it all...
CALIGIRL: Nice to see you here! I'm excited that my "web" of fellow bloggers is increasing! I've learned so much from all kinds of people and here is no exception!
IPM: Agape I know - Dr. MLK I do not. Care to elaborate?
Martin Luther King... sorry!
funny about DJ's... that is how Peter and I met! at the college station in Chico, KCSC, which is now a solely internet station...
but what fun was had!!!
when the lottery is won, we'll be Canada-bound... :)))
And hopefully I will be in Canada to visit you!!! As i would LOVE to see you. hehe
I beg to differ with Paul.
Sometimes love DOES insist on its own way.
For example, when you see someone you love doing something harmful to themselves, if you can make them stop, then you do (or at least you should).
For example, taking the bottle of nail polish remover out of baby's hands. He wants to drink it. Love makes you insist on him not doing so.
So... Paul has some good food for thought, but he's not the be all and end all on love, me thinks.
BTW, I also love MLK. Have his autobiography, TG, if you want to borrow it.
The question then becomes: are you stopping harmful behaviour out of love or out of survival? You see one of your kind destroying themselves, it's an instinctual reaction for MOST of us to rush to "save".
OR
Maybe Paul was speaking not so much from a practical point of view. Perhaps "insist on its own way" to Paul was in terms of "this is what I want, what YOU want doesn't matter because I'm self-centered"
OR
You could be entirely right. "God" loved the human race, yet in anger cast the only two humans alive out of paradise. "God" in Old Testiment terms was openly "jealous" - yet he "loved" what he created? A bit puzzling...
Ah yes, and Andrea - that wit of yours is rather sharp! Getting enough sleep these days?
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