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. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

The above passage has become through the years a very popular selection for use at wedding ceremonies. While it does offer valuable advice on the nature of love within a marital relationship, that was not actually Paul’s intent.

Our culture tends to put an extremely high emphasis on romantic love. Yet, all romantic love needs the foundation of a more inclusive and potent communal love. It could even be argued that what we call romantic love is merely lust without a that foundation.

The Greek language has multiple words as compared to our one word to discuss love. There are three primary words for love in the New Testament, each describing a particular form of love within relationships. Paul does not use the word for romantic love in this passage, but the word best described as communal love. It is the same word for love Jesus uses in Luke in reference to God and neighbor. Paul is expounding on this vision of love embodied by Christians as the Corinthians struggle to manifest that love within their community.

The bonds founded on the love of God and neighbor form the foundation of the church. Those bonds form the foundation of all relationships. We relate to the world under the umbrella of Christ’s love. Paul’s advice is relevant to all our relationships. Jesus’s command to love impacts all of our interpersonal interactions. God calls us to demonstrate Christ’s love to others and to perceive Christ’s love in others. We, as beloved children of God, are called to love.

The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

He [Jesus] answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)