1 Corinthians 13The very depths of me hum
with the greatness of this realization:
This realization that though I might speak great truth
truths which unlock the secrets of this world
truths which unlock the secrets of the next world
I might speak ecstatic wisdom.
but words
without love
are only noise.
And I might appear to be a prophet:
holy man healer medicine man mystic.
There might be a depth to me
deeper even than the deepest wisdom
Healings, trances and supernatural abilities.
but actions,
abilities,
without love
are irrelevant.
If I am self-sacrificing:
if I give every piece of me
to build up every piece of you
if I give until I am a sad shell…
if I wait until I am almost nothing
if I throw the sad remnants of what I once had
of what I once was
into the very flames of sacrifice…
if I sacrifice even my love
if I give even my love
until I have none left
then I have truly given too much.
Where patience manifests itself
love is underneath
where kindness emerges on the outside
love hovers beneath
where envy has been transcended
love has conquered
where boasting has been ended
love has begun
where pride falls
love rises
where cruelties fade away
love comes into focus
where selfishness is defeated
love victors.
where rule books and score books are thrown away
love springs up.
Love does not flourish among evil,
love abides in truth.
love preserves the eternal
love trusts even when it is hard
love believes in the best of us
love maintains the best of us.
Love is perfect.
it is not like our words, any words
whether those words speak of this world or the next.
Because some day
we will run out of words
because some day
our tounges will no longer wag.
Love is perfect.
It is deeper than understanding.
understanding resides within us.
and is a passenger with us.
and it passes with us.
The best we can ever hope for is to speak partial truths.
The best we can ever hope for is to know half the truth.
But we can participate,
right here,
and right now
in something which is full and complete.
Someday we will be greater than we are.
Someday we will see that we are not so different now
than the child we once were.
We know that when we were toddlers
we could not speak complete sentences
or understand the fullness of adult thought
Someday we will look at who we are now
and where we are now.
and we will see that we are still toddling around
still so uncomplete.
We put our childishness away before,
we will put away this new childishness again.
In that new place
in that new time
we will step into the fullness
of what we were meant to be.
The best of us
is what will be left of us.
We will be faith
hope
and love.
But the greatest of these
the greatest of what we will be
is love.
