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God Is Love 13




          Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.   (I Corinthains 13:4-8a)

          God’s love means that God eternally give of himself to others. (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p 199.)
          I once saw a PBS Mystery episode in which the answer to the mystery revolved around chemistry. When they reached the denouement, as I recall it, the detective turned to the sidekick and announced, “It’s elementary,” and I cheered, laughed, or otherwise made amused noises. The letters of the name of the criminal was spelled out using the Periodic Table of the Elements. What made it funny was  that somewhere along the line, someone other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes announce to Dr. Watson, “It’s elementary, my dear Watson,” meaning that it was quite simple. Two uses of the term elementary, two different meanings.
          That’s what is happening today. I’m going to say the same words that others say, and they aren’t going to mean the same thing. In fact, if you think they mean the same, you’ll be missing out entirely on what I mean. It’s amusing that I’m using the same words, but that is all. If God is love, then… love is love. That does not mean that everything proclaimed to be love is in fact love, or even healthy. We’ve already had that conversation.
          Following Mr. Grudem’s explanation, Love’s love means that Love eternally gives of itself to others. Following Paul’s description requires no change at all. Love is patient. …Love never fails. If love required of its participants that they have no sexual contact, love would still be love, but I have to wonder how many people would claim to love the person they now claim to love. 
          When others talk of their love, they speak of how the loved one makes them happy, or how good he/she is to the one who loves. Some talk about 50/50 relationships, or 100/100 relationships, but love is still love even when it’s 100/0, or even 100/-100. In fact, love is probably lucky if the beloved gives 20% love in return. And yet, love loves, and love loves in hope not so much that you will love it back, as that we will become more like it in our love of others: patient, kind….

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