“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
Background
The church of Corinth was founded by Paul. And it was in trouble. Divisions were forming. Disagreements were frequent. And it was time for truth telling. And a reset. It was time for a letter.
The thirteenth chapter of Paul’s letter reminds the church of the critical ingredient of love. And there may not be another chapter in scripture that celebrates and positions love more eloquently than in these 13 verses.
But tucked away in the last verse Paul positions the most important Christian values: Love (I get it); Faith (I get it)…Hope (hmm).
Reflections
Hope is an important value…but does it really justify a position sandwiched between faith and love? Paul thought so. Hope must be a critical ingredient of a vibrant life.
It is interesting to me that Job has the second most references (18) to hope of any book in the bible – Only Psalms, with 34 references and 142 more chapters has more…
Job’s life was in meltdown mode. Most in his family were taken from him. His wealth evaporated. His health faded badly. Job’s anguish was real. And yet through it all he held onto something. Is it possible that the presence of hope in the midst of a dark crisis gets us to the other side? That it serves as motivation for the next step? Or the next breath?
Have you ever been in a situation like me where you thought you were boxed in and all seemed dark? A medical prognosis was bleak? A relationship seemed irreparably damaged? A marriage lacked life? There was no way to turn? A way out couldn’t be found? Darkness. And then….a small glimmer of hope emerged. Light. Hope has power.
We serve a God who specializes in hope. A God who laughs at the impossible. A God who isn’t limited by history or science or the likely. And a God who redeems the flat out broken. A God who believes that hope is on the level of faith and love. I get it.
Lord, this world is desperate for hope. The enemy seeks to rob us of this value. To give up. Infuse hope in greater measure into our lives. Let it provide connectivity to greater faith. Let us be reminded that there is no crisis or situation you can’t redeem. Help us to more firmly be hopeful in all. To model it to a world desperate for the same. Let our churches be oases of hope. Amen.
What if the church offered a perspective that more effectively and frequently breathed hope into broken marriages; lives frought with addiction; relationships in disrepair; those tortured with physical or emotional bondage; or those lonely?
What if we served as increasing conduits for those recipients of injustice? And the most hurting among us?
What if... 