Love is more than a feeling… It’s a way of life

I received some genuinely positive responses to the article I wrote on ‘hope’ a couple of months back in the April issue of the Plymouth Chronicle. Hope seems to be such an important part of our humanity and for us as Christians a very important part of our worldview and convictions.

The concept of hope, spiritually, sits between faith and love in the amazing scripture about love in 1 Corinthians 13:

“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour 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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

This passage is recited at so many weddings as an encouragement for the start of married life together. It is understandable that these beautiful biblical verses are spoken at the altar to help people aspire within their marriage for an enduring life together. Hope leads to love.

On the Cross Rhythms radio programme, called the Cross Rhythms Experience, I use this phrase: “Faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love, but love is more than a feeling it is a way of life.”

It says in Hebrews 11 verse 1:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Faith, hope and love are entwined in a developmental journey where the definition of faith means something or someone you trust in, cling to, and rely on as a foundational worldview. This means that hope is then generated and built up through experience of trust in that faith, and this leads to the love of our neighbours as we love ourselves correctly with sober judgement. Loving our neighbour as we love ourselves.

During the Covid pandemic we have witnessed so many people who have gone beyond their own challenges and invested either through charitable fund raising or caring for vulnerable members of our communities. This attitude of service is at the heart of church communities. The voluntary sector and NHS have worked so hard for others whilst also having a genuine and real concern for their own safety.

Genesis 1. verse 27 states that

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

From a spiritual perspective we are all in this together and when people go the extra mile for their neighbours in love and sacrifice then that image of God is readily seen.

[Bible references are from: THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.]