What’s Love Got to Do With It?

My title today is with apologies to Tina Turner; though I don’t know if the song that is buzzing around in many of our heads was originally done by her. Her version is the one that runs through my head every time I read 1 Corinthians 13, commonly referred to as the love chapter. Love literally has everything to do with it. This chapter reminds us that without love we are and have nothing. If we go so far as to lay down our lives but do it without love, it has no value. Verses 4-8 are commonly read in weddings: 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. This is a rather amazing description of the power and potential of love. I believe Paul is writing about a divine love, available to us through a relationship with Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Without Jesus we cannot know and experience love like this; but without love like this our experiences are far less than what can be best for us.

I think a good exercise for us would be to re-read verses 4-7 and ask ourselves if these qualities of love are evident in our lives, our love for others…those we know and love and those we know and…well, have a hard time loving. I suppose that the love Paul is writing about is best on display with the latter group of people. I don’t know if Tina Turner ever experienced the love that Paul is writing about here. Certainly if she did, she would know that love has everything to do with it…love is really IT!