Faith, Hope and Love, the greatest of these is Love

Image source: Samuel Greenberg's facebook page

I was brought up in a Christian home so I guess I am more familiar with Christian teachings, but as I grow my knowledge of other religions is also growing.  One truth is that all religions preach the same thing – Love.  It is human interpretations and egos that have created all the chaos and separation between religions.

I am taking this from the Bible, but I believe its meaning is beyond all religions.  My favourite passage in the Bible is the one from 1 Corinthians chapter 13 on Love which is:

I may be able to speak the language of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell.  I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all the knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains - but if I have no love, I am nothing.  I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned – but if I have no love, this does me no good.

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered of selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with truth.  Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail.

Love is eternal.  There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass.  For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear.

When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am a man, I have no more use for childish ways.  What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror, then we shall see face to face.  What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete – as complete as God’s knowledge of me.

Meanwhile, these three remain; Faith. Hope and Love; and the greatest of these is Love.

I am sharing my thoughts and understanding of this passage, as I believe it is of importance in how we see ourselves.  To me Love is another word for God, and if we change Love from the passage to God, then all there is God and Love, which is one and the same.  Therefore the meaning to me is that if we do not have the Divine within us, then we are nothing.  This is absolutely true, because we are an individuation of the Divine, of All That Is and nothing can change that. So we can never not have the Divine within us or be part of it.  We only need to realise this, understand this and how we see each and every being will change. 

To me this is the missing link in having all the knowledge and actually integrating it into our lives.  I know from my personal experience that reading and saying yes I understand is completely different from actually knowing it from within my core.  Once we know this truth from within our soul, we will never be able to hold a grudge or ill wish towards another for any period of time.  We will certainly feel negative emotions when something unpleasant happens, as it is part of our human psyche, but it will have no hold over us because we know that it is not our truth.  And then through perseverance and thoughtful living we can change our lives to be all that is good and loving.

And just imagine if each person did this consciously we can all start moving to higher vibrations of love and better living.

In Love and Light