7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Some may ask how does love, a verb, do all these things? Because it is a verb, it can do all things.

In the name of love, we have proven time and time again to accomplish powerful, impactful things while facing adversity. True love always protects the ones fighting for it. It always trusts in the power of truth. It is always hopeful for redemption from affliction of any type. Love always perseveres, which is why it is eternal.

Love and the actions required by us in the name of love always find a way to dispel lies, manipulation and hurt. It stands on the promise and premise of good vs evil- and good comes out on top.

8 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. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears

I love this verse set because it tells me it doesn’t matter how much research is done. It doesn’t matter how many letters are behind your name, how much time you spent serving, how many pristine colleges you attended. It does not count the physical fitness of a person. It revokes everything from Nostradamus to the weatherman. (who is always wrong all the time) It does not matter how many speeches, sermons, recruitment seminars or business meetings we have attended.  None of the numbers, books or speeches will matter. Only Love is failsafe. Only Love is complete, and only when we are complete in Christ.

It also opens a conversation about our wholeness. We are not complete until we are with Christ, which means we must die for completeness. It sounds scary but really that is the plan. Eternal life comes upon death. Only the human part of us fears it. The soulful part yearns for it. It is the empty place only Jesus can fill until we move from this world to the eternal one. Once we come to terms with that one empty space, once we allow Christ to fill it with the Holy Spirit, we are able to love fully.