Washington the Merciless

Here In America, Justice and Mercy

Seem to Be In Short Supply

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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I did not bother watching the farce on TV this past week having to do with the US Judiciary Committee hearings on president Trump's nominee for the US Supreme Court. As my regular readers already know, I don't even subscribe to cable TV, nor do I have a satellite dish. I catch a little news, mostly local, on my old box TV that I'm still using. I guess I'll continue to use it until it dies of old age, which could be anytime now even though it still plays very well. The state of our federal government today is a lot like my old 20 inch Sony “Trinitron”. It still works okay, and from time to time it actually works quite well. But on stormy days, or if there are any low-flying aircraft close by, it interferes with my incoming signal. So it is with our current federal government, and our state governments are no better. During times like these, when the future of our country is at stake, interference with it in all the wrong forms is getting all the wrong results.

Don't get me wrong. Dr. Ford's testimony during the Judiciary Committee's hearings this week was compelling by all accounts. I don't care to get into the he-said-she-said debate regarding the allegations of sexual assault. As I wrote last week, all of these allegations past and present prove that the United States is a really corrupt and immoral country (thank you all for all those responses!). For anyone interested, you can find last week's message right here. But that's just what's on the surface. What lies underneath is pride, avarice, pole-vaulting ambition fueled by desires for revenge for past offenses – whether real or imagined – and what I would describe as a visceral and primal mind-set of competitiveness. Judge Kavenaugh was attacked mercilessly by his critics, together with their own agendas. But then again, so was Dr. Ford for much the same reasons. So what does all this prove? If nothing else, it proves we have become a country full of sex maniacs and alcoholics!

What was completely lacking throughout this past week's hearings was a sense of fairness, justice, and especially mercy. Everyone was in full attack mode from the time they all walked in the door and took their seats, like a predator stalks its prey. Yet if you asked any one of them whether they believed in Jesus or not, the overwhelming majority of them would say they did. OK, then here's a few quotes from our Lord and Savior regarding this week's happenings in Washington from Matthew chapter 5: “ 6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7) Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Again in verses 9 - 10 he said, “ 9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Based on what I've heard and read about this past week's confirmation hearings, there is little righteousness to be found these days in Washington, DC. Instead, we evidently have an entire city of people who are constantly jockeying for position inside the Beltway, the majority of whom are apparently engaged in all kinds of deviant sexual behavior. Instead of governing as they were elected to do, most (but not all) of these people are engaging in a bed-hopping contest with one another. Hearing and reading about all this fills me with dismay. Writing about it makes me ashamed of my country, and that's an uncomfortable place to be. As for myself, I long for the day when I am finished being filled with righteousness by the Lord as it says in verses 6 – 7. That righteousness that Jesus spoke of does not come by man's or women's efforts, no matter how great. It comes from a willingness to step aside, from within ourselves, and swallow our pride as we abdicate control over our destinies and surrender them to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the very personification of the righteousness we all seek.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” When women are sexually assaulted, it is done without mercy. When women and children are abused by the head of that household, it is similarly done without mercy, otherwise it can no longer be called abuse or assault. When the Constitutional rights of the American electorate are rapidly being evaporated, as it is currently happening throughout the land, it too is being done without mercy. But we as a faith-based Christian people (never mind denominational differences, or even whether you attend church or not) are charged with the responsibility of showing mercy, kindness, gentleness and sober judgment in order to set a good example for everyone else, especially the children. We are responsible for doing everything Jesus said to do, to the very best of our abilities, so help us God! Show mercy to your fellow man/woman during your lifetime here, and God will reward you. Show your fellow man/woman no mercy during this life, and when it is over, God won't show you any mercy, either!

“9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Do you want to spend your life fighting all the time? Or if you're like a few people, are you the type of person who becomes a cop or a soldier so they can legally shoot people? Don't they really enjoy putting those 'bad people' back in their place? Those are NOT peacemakers, people, they are predators! But if you promote yourselves as peaceful (excluding matters of self defense), loving, tender, compassionate, gentle and teachable, this is all we have to do to make our world a much better place. And, if you've ever been unfairly targeted for your Christianity, or for other matters that are spiritually important, or for taking a stand for something good or against something evil, rejoice and be glad, Jesus said. The prophets of old who came before you experienced the same kinds of persecution and rejection, so you're right in their league.

Allow me to serve up one more good quote about justice and mercy, this time from the prophet Zechariah. “ 8) And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9) “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10) Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ 11) But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12) They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.” (Zech. 7: 8-12) We as a nation are, by and large, completely ignoring verses 9-10. My country that I've always loved and always will has nonetheless become a country devoid of any trace of justice, mercy and compassion, and the fault lies squarely with America's leadership.

Anytime we devolve into a bunch of high-rolling wannabe aristocrats that verbally abuses one another just because they get to be on TV, I would say we as an American people have sunk to a new low. Yes, I stand against those who sexually assault or otherwise abuse innocent people, but I'm also absolutely against one nation waging warfare against another. Most of all as far as this week's message is concerned, I'm also against those who lie under oath on international television, as well as those congressional representatives sitting on the Judiciary Committee in Washington who abuse their authority for profit. I vehemently stand against men who abuse women, as well as the other way around.

But there are plenty of good things that we can all stand for. Justice, mercy, fairness, the absence of bias in our decision making, and the possession of much empathy and compassion towards others regardless of who they are, where they come from or what color their skin is – it is these things that are required of us by our Maker. Because, you see, that's precisely what He put us here for. It is our purpose for living. The very reason for our existence is to take care of one another, just as God is taking good care of each and every one of us as I write these words. God has made us wonderfully and with utmost perfection! He puts the breath in our lungs, he has put the blood in our veins, and he causes the heart to pump all 5 quarts of it with the greatest of vigor. That way we will never lack the energy or ability to care for one another. That's what Jesus meant when he said, “A new commandment I now give you: Love one another.” (John 13: 34)

“Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor....” See that, all you “patriots” and “conservatives”? Don't pick on widows, orphans, foreigners or the poor! God is serious about this – leave 'em alone!! Suppose the United States sustained a nuclear attack – who would do this is a matter of mere speculation, but what if we had to leave the country to save our own lives and that of our families? Wouldn't we expect a little justice, fairness and (above all) mercy instead of being greeted as unwelcome guests if we were to become refugees in, say, Canada or Mexico? Of course we would! And being treated with hatred and contempt wouldn't make any of us feel very good, now would it? “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, that's what Jesus taught, isn't it? OK, so all you immigrant haters and so-called “patriots” or “white nationalists”, what do you think God will say to you when it comes your time to stand before him? Think about that for a minute. You'd better!!

“ 11) But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12) They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.” If God was so angry back in Zechariah's time because the people lacked compassion and simply did whatever they wanted, what do you think God would say to America's leaders, and those who voted them into office, today? I'll tell you what I know for sure, it won't sound pretty.

The Beatitudes 2.0

The 'Flip Side' of the Teachings of Christ Jesus

by pastor Paul J. Bern

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For this week's commentary I will, once again but from a different angle, demonstrate that the teachings and presence of the Lord in Spirit and in Truth are more relevant today than ever before. I'm not talking religion and I'm not talking about doctrine, I'm just writing today about Jesus Christ and what he taught, because people everywhere seem to be hungry and thirsty for real truth and authenticity. So today I am once again putting Jesus up on a pedestal where he belongs. My topic is what we now call the Beatitudes of Christ, or just 'the Beatitudes' for short. I'm going to give you 2 different sets of quotes, the first from the apostle Matthew's gospel and the second from Luke's. These are very powerful instructions from our Lord and Savior, so let's examine what happens when we obey them, followed by what can happen if we don't. So let me begin with Matthew chapter 5 and verse 2.

“....He began to teach them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who came before you.'” (Matthew 5, verses 3-12)

“Poor in spirit” could mean a couple of things. Besides those who are dispirited and disenfranchised, it could also mean people who are mentally depressed, and so by extension Jesus could have been taking about the mentally ill or mentally challenged individuals. Most likely it's all of the above. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Most often this verse is associated with those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, particularly a spouse or a child. But this can also mean those who have suffered catastrophic losses, like the survivors of hurricanes and wildfires who have nothing but the clothes they're wearing. They too will be comforted, because they will regain much of what they have lost. Moreover, those who have lost loved ones will see them again, and maybe sooner than we all think.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Why? Because at some point in the fairly near future, all the warlike people will kill each other off because of their addiction to fighting and conflict. They thrive on it, so let it consume them. The meek, mild, compassionate, loving and gentle people will be the only ones left. Let those whose only motivations are anger and rage roast in hell! “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Notice that it reads, “for they will be filled”. That means those who get filled with righteousness will derive theirs from God, through his only Son Jesus Christ. Those whose righteousness is self-generated – this is, generated by the human ego instead relying on the Holy Spirit – is egocentric by nature and is derived from human emotions. So we can conclude that righteousness that is received from above is from God, but self-righteousness is of Satan and is Luciferian in nature. So the two are totally incompatible.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Be forgiving and merciful towards others, and you will get the same in return. Likewise, when we show mercy and kindness towards God's creations – other people – we can expect the same from God. Conversely, mean people – particularly those with violent tempers and those who seem to be always angry – and those who commit violent crimes such as murder (like school shootings!!) and forcible rape, should expect no mercy from God whatsoever unless they repent of their ways once and for good! “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Since we all have a sinful nature that we must work hard to control (see Romans 3, verses 9-18), people who are “pure in heart” are those who don't partake in the corrupt nature of the world in which we live. That is, it is not possible for any human being to keep his/her heart pure while they allow themselves to be surrounded by the gross impurities of this world. Greed, malice, hate and prejudice, wall-to-wall sex all the time, pornography, every kind of addiction you can imagine, subliminal messaging and imagery designed to program the human mind are just a sampling of what's out there. All you “Christians” who look at porn, party at clubs all night, use dangerous drugs like heroin and meth and so-called “spice” (“artificial marijuana” that is neither), you had better take a step or two away from what you're doing, and from the person you have become, and take a good long look at yourselves. You don't have much time left to get yourselves right with God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.” While this needs no explanation, it also says, 'Cursed are the mercenaries who kill for profit, the politicians who send our sons and daughters off to fight and die in wars that benefit only a few people and their families. Cursed are those who pollute the earth that God created and divert its resources exclusively for themselves, causing hardship and starvation for hundreds of millions. Cursed are they who deny electricity and clean drinking water to 25% of the planet so they can keep it all for themselves. Cursed are they, for they will be called the sons of the devil! “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” All the Christians who have died or who will die for their faith, fall into this category. So do all whistle-blowers within government and industry, all of whom see, to die mysterious deaths under equally mysterious circumstances. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., presidents Kennedy and Lincoln, as well as Malcolm X all fall into this category.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” If you have ever been cussed out, threatened, or physically attacked by Christian haters, you know exactly what I mean. What's the flip side of this one? Simple – if one has never had to defend one's faith, the depth of one's belief is directly proportional to the vigor with which one is compelled to defend one's faith. Conversely, if we never talk to anyone about our faith and what Christ has done in your life, our faith lacks depth, which limits how we interact with the Risen Spirit of Christ the Lord. Never be afraid to talk to others about your faith, because you never know when you can help someone. You could even help lead a soul to their Savior, of whom they were previously unaware. Jesus has already saved your soul, hasn't he (but if not PLEASE ask him now!!)? So go and pay it forward, that's your job! And now let me briefly quote from Luke's gospel.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6, verses 24-26) So there you go, that sums things up rather nicely, exactly what God's Word is saying to us, spoken through his Son Jesus (or 'Yeshua' in Hebrew, the native language of Christ). There are two sides to every teaching of Jesus, and sometimes more than that. This is just one of dozens of examples throughout the Bible where God's Word can mean more than one thing and still be consistent. In the meantime, and in closing, everyone please continue to pray for peace in our nation's schools, as well as in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula. Shalom....

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Taking Care Of One Another – More Than Just a Nice Idea

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

It goes without saying that we are now living in a world which seems to be imploding on itself. As I write this, over five million middle class American jobs have been exported overseas by US multinational corporations, and they are never coming back. As a result, we have well over 20 million Americans who are either unemployed or who are working part-time when full-time work is needed. An increasing number of these workers are juggling 2 or 3 part-time jobs just to make ends meet. The US government's official unemployment rate, according to the mainstream news media, is said to be around 5.5 percent as I write this. This is a complete joke to those persons like myself who have been following current events, because those workers who have used up their unemployment benefits and who have been out of work for more than the maximum of 99 weeks are no longer being counted. Also not being counted are so-called “discouraged” workers who have dropped out of the job market and are sharing living quarters with immediate family. Without this family safety net in place, people usually wind up homeless through no fault of their own sooner or later. I know this to be true because I was one of those unfortunate individuals a few years back. Despite my best efforts to find full-time work in my field, which was computer/IT, I could only find temporary jobs of short-term duration. I spent roughly a third of my time searching for more work. By the time I finally wound up homeless my health soon simply collapsed and I wound up taking early retirement. I have learned the hard way that being homeless and on the street with no transportation or income permanently damages people. It breaks the spirit, it wounds the soul, and it fractures the mind in ways that most people can't even imagine. The one positive thing about my homelessness is that it brought me closer to Christ, just like Jesus said: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matt. Chapter 8, verse 20 NIV)

The evaporation of these millions of US jobs is having severe repercussions for the overwhelming majority of Americans. There were about 5 million foreclosures in the US by the end of 2012, and about 3 million more since then. Cars and trucks are being repossessed at record rates, and an increasingly larger number of college graduates who cannot find jobs are defaulting on their student loans. Record numbers of these unemployed college graduates, some of them in their 30's and 40's, are moving back in with parents or siblings due to their being victims of foreclosures or evictions. They simply have no where else to go. All the rest, the multitudes of disillusioned, disenchanted and disenfranchised US workers who lost their jobs and careers, their housing and their transportation wind up in homeless shelters or sleeping under bridges. The more fortunate ones in this group of people that capitalism has discarded still have their vehicles, so that's where they sleep. Yet if we study the four Gospels, we find that it was to this very group of poor people that Jesus gravitated towards the most. Houses of worship and charities are supposed to be helping these most unfortunate people, but too many of them use their '501c3' tax status to remain tax-exempt, and so they can get grants from the government. Who are they worshiping first, Jesus or the IRS? Jesus prophesied against these kinds of organizations in Matthew chapter 23, verse 23 when He said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.”

As we are living in these last days before Christ's return, we would do well to emulate Jesus in this regard – His compassion and unconditional love for us all. It used to be that when I encountered a homeless person asking for money, I would walk on by them without saying a word. Having since experienced homelessness myself for a few months, I find that I can no longer walk on by without stopping and witnessing to them about Christ, and how He has brought me all the way back from the brink of oblivion. As I talk to them I inquire of the Spirit whether I should help them or not. Usually I give them whatever spare change I have. Occasionally I buy them a burger and fries, particularly if they are in really bad shape or when the Holy Spirit encourages me to do so. It's just that being a follower of Christ has filled me with compassion, and I allow His peace to overshadow any anxiety I may have about whether the homeless strangers I encounter pose any threat to me, or if I can afford to buy them lunch or not. Jesus always comes first with me, others second and myself third. That's what it takes to be a true follower of Christ. We are to emulate His example of unconditional love for us by showing that same love for others. And as hard times continue to get harder and meaner, an increasing number of folks from all backgrounds find themselves emulating Christ in one way or another whether they realize it or not.

As a rapidly growing population of long-term unemployed begins to congregate regularly at shelters, churches, soup kitchens and food banks, a good number of them volunteer in order to help give back what these charities have given them. In so doing they are finding themselves interconnected in ways that they may not have been previously. It is one thing to be connected on Facebook or Twitter, but being in groups of people having direct contact with others is another thing altogether. The exponential growth of the Internet, along with computer and information technology, has an increasing number of us spending more time in front of our computers and flat screen TV's than we do with other people. Of course, that is only counting the people who still have the means of acquiring the trappings of being solidly middle class. As I write this, an increasing majority of unemployed American workers are putting these items into storage or dumping them at pawn shops in a desperate attempt to get some money in their pockets. 

 

What do we do to solve this dilemma? What are we going to do with all these displaced workers who desperately want to restart their careers and their incomes, but can find no way of doing so due to a complete lack of opportunity that is beyond their control? First, we have to come to the realization that our economic system is broken and in need of replacement. Not just fixing it, mind you, I'm talking about starting all over again on a clean sheet of paper. For some detailed commentary on this subject, you may order a copy of my first book, “The Middle and Working Class Manifesto”. For now all I will say is that the entire concept of profit and its benefits needs to be reexamined. When we have literally trillions of dollars in liquid wealth or assets of one kind or another in the hands of so few people, any claims of democratic government by this tiny but extraordinarily powerful group of people becomes completely ludicrous. We have been stuck in worn-out concepts of representative democracy that worked much better when the population of the earth was far lower than it is today, which has caused us to believe that it’s by getting the government to do things for us that we progress. The Internet and information technology have made these concepts obsolete. If we can interconnect directly with one another, then who needs big government? Big government clearly creates more problems than it solves in the 21^st century. And I think that we’ve reached the point now where we’re stuck with a whole lot of antiquated concepts, so that when Michael Moore speaks about the relatively small number of people who make all this money while so many other people don’t, it sounds as if we’re struggling for equality with them. We don't want equality with the rich, we want equality equally for everybody. Who wants to be equal to the rich? Who wants to imitate people who hoard billions while formerly middle class people are living in vehicles, shelters, and in cardboard boxes under bridges? I think we have to be thinking much more profoundly than mere capitalism and the empty acquisition of material wealth for its own sake that accompanies it. The earth's population has become so great that we would all be far better served by spending our time helping others instead of helping ourselves. The needs of the many far outweigh the needs of the few.

Actually, if you go back to what Marx said in The Communist Manifesto over 150 years ago (and I'm no fan of Karl Marx, OK?), when talking about the constant revolutions in technology, he ended his explanation by saying, “All that is sacred is profaned, all that is solid melts into air, and men and women are forced to face with sober senses our conditions of life and our relations with our kind.” We’re at that sort of turning point in human history right now. And I think that, talking about recovery, talking about democracy, we too easily get sucked into out-of-date notions of what we want. So I'm expecting massive civil unrest in the near future. I don’t mind protests, in fact I encourage them at times. But what happened in 2001 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2011 in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and England, plus the ongoing civil wars in Syria, Yemen, and Somalia, that is when people have gathered to say another world is necessary, another world is possible, and that we're all longing for something better. It's already started here in the US with the Occupy Wall St. and the “We are the 99%” Movements. These movements are the new civil rights marches of the 21^st century by Americans who are becoming aware that our governmental – and particularly our economic – systems are broken. In Detroit, for example, – or what is left of it – people are beginning to say the only way to survive is by taking care of one another. This could easily happen in your city or town too.

We are collectively arriving at the conclusion that greed is bad and that excess profit always equals equally excessive greed. Human progress, on the other hand, depends on pursuing goals collectively for all our mutual benefit. In so doing we are evolving as human beings. Jesus commanded us all to “love your neighbor as yourself” and to “love your enemies”. Natural disasters tend to draw people together, with volunteers flooding into the hardest-hit areas where the need is greatest. The current economic instability we are experiencing is turning out much the same way. More people are volunteering to help the poor and the less fortunate, which now includes much of the former US middle class. So in closing I would encourage each of you to find something or someone that needs help and go and find out what you can do to help. By the same token, if you are in dire straits, take heart and do not be afraid. Your guardian angel and Jesus himself are right there with you. You are not alone. “Be of good cheer,” said our Lord. “I have overcome the world”. This means Jesus hasn't just mastered your situation, it means He has overcome all the bad luck on the entire planet, including yours. Remember, if you are in need of help, there is no shame in asking for it. And, if you don't need help, there is no shame in showing it. So show it by helping someone else, even a total stranger. God is watching you and you will be rewarded.

This week's Bible study will be the 13th chapter of First Corinthians

The Love Chapter

[1^st Corinthians chapter 13]

Today in our continuing study of 1^st Corinthians we will cover chapter 13, which is sometimes called “the love chapter” by ministers, Bible scholars, and independent pastors like myself. This 13^th chapter is not only a deeply meaningful and eloquent piece of Scripture, it has literary beauty as well. The words flow like a gently running stream through a magnificent landscape of cascading spirituality, defining what true love is and how it is shared between ourselves and others in compassionate and tender fashion. Let me begin this lesson at verse one right away. This chapter of 1^st Corinthians is so good it won't wait!

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1Cor. 13, verses 1-3, NIV)

When Paul wrote these words he was not writing about love in a physical sense and he was not commenting on being married vs. remaining single. He was writing about the kind of love that Jesus said we should all have in abundance as He taught us about the two greatest commandments. When asked about this during His ministry, Jesus replied, “These two commandments are that you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and that you must love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commands rest all the law and the prophets.” And so it doesn't matter what we do for God if we have no love for serving others and do not practice putting them before ourselves as I try to do with this ministry. All the effort in the world will come to nothing if we have no love in our hearts. Paul then goes on to point out the meaning of that statement.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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.” (!st Cor. 13, verses 4-6, NIV)

I could say that this passage is pretty much self-explanatory and move on, but before I do let me comment on what the inverse of this scripture looks like. When Paul wrote that love is patient and kind, he was warning us against being impatient, demanding, unkind and mean. Paul was also telling us that there will be no bullies in heaven. Bullying is completely un-Christian, and this kind of behavior must be opposed in the name of Jesus at every turn. Moreover, when Paul wrote that love is not envious, boastful or proud he was warning us – and the entire Church – against being jealous, arrogant, obnoxious and conceited. When Paul wrote that love is not rude or self-seeking, he was reminding us to be considerate of others while warning us not to be belligerent, controlling or manipulative because such behavior never comes from God.

When Paul wrote that love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs, he was reminding us to control our tempers, to never hold grudges (especially for very long), and to never be abusive towards others for any reason. When Paul wrote that love rejoices with the truth and never delights in evil, he was reminding us that standing against social and economic injustice and the abuse of power is the responsibility of Christians everywhere, as Rev. Dr. King Jr. (who was himself a minister of the Gospel) so memorably reminded us of a generation ago. If love always protects, then it is never negligent nor does it lack diligence. If love always trusts then it is never dishonest. If love always perseveres, then love is relentless, never giving up. Let me now continue our study of this truly beautiful passage of Scripture.

“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;For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” (1^st Cor. 13, verses 8-10, NIV)

“Love never fails”. Even though the world around us is coming apart at the seams, love will still be standing when it implodes because God, who is eternal, is the personification of love. Even though marriages fail, love will drive men or women to seek another relationship to replace it. Even though our country's unsustainable debt-based economic policies threaten to crash the capitalist financial system straight into the ground (and make no mistake, that is exactly what will ultimately occur), love will still be standing even when your money is no good anymore (and that day is also coming, take heed). Even though nations go to war, love always rebuilds the population when the war finally ends. And it is love from which we derive compassion and empathy, two more human virtues that similarly never fail.

Before I move on, let me comment briefly on verse 10, “For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” Knowing and prophesying in part is an acknowledgment of our one-on-one relationship with Christ Jesus. We know Him through our daily walk with Him, through being in an ongoing state of prayer, and we proclaim his Word because we have read it, understood it and are actively obeying it. We only know Jesus in part because we have never actually seen Him, but our faith in Him makes up the difference. Still, until He returns, we only know Him “in part”. “But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears”. The word perfection in this verse symbolizes and is used as a synonym for Christ. So when He returns, our imperfect relationship with Him will be made perfect because we will have seen Him and in so doing we will be achieving Spiritual fulfillment. Now that I have analyzed this I will move on and finish this up.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1Cor. 13, verses 11-13, NIV)

Paul is comparing maturing from a child to an adult to our growth in faith in Christ as we are first transformed from lost nonbelievers to born-again Christians and then subsequently becoming ever stronger in our walk with our Savior. As of now, we can only hope to emulate Jesus as best as we can, and we freely choose to believe in Him and to uphold the sacredness of His name even though we have never seen Him. But one fine day we shall all see Him face to face, and we will all instantly recognize Him. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully...; our journey as Christians does not end until we are with Jesus in heaven in New Jerusalem, to dwell with Him forever.

Love is the greatest virtue, it has no equal and thus reigns supreme because its source is from God, a supreme being. True Christian love is unconditional, with nothing held back. It is not selfish or egocentric, it is not used cynically to manipulate or control people, nor is it given in exchange for anything, but instead it is distributed freely and always without expecting anything in return. The three greatest virtues as Paul names them are faith, hope and love – but “the greatest of these is love”. Jesus said in the gospel of John, “A new command I give you, that you are to love one another”. If we just focused all our energy on this one thing, the world would quickly become an enjoyable place to live. And that's a worthwhile goal anytime.