Today concludes our 18 part series on love and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. We close with the final part: “Where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” This section is very similar to yesterday’s section “Where there are tongues, they will be stilled”. 

 

Knowledge is only useful if it is needed in everyday life. A couple of examples of knowledge becoming idle: knowing how to use a typewriter, knowing how the Dewey Decimal system works, knowing how to bake bread without an oven. All of these things were once critical to everyday life, but they have now been replaced by other things: computers, electronic lookups, and ovens that you just have to press a button to turn on. I know that some people do still use typewriters or live by the Dewey Decimal system or bake break without ovens, but the majority of us in first world countries don’t. 

 

Is it no longer useful to know how to use a typewriter? Sure. But the need to know how to love and what love is will never be not useful. Let me say that another way: we will always need to know how to love, it will never go out of style. When knowledge passes away, we are left with love. Love outlasts everything else. 

 

Some might tell you that it is better to be the tough guy, the girl who doesn’t need anyone to love her to be strong. I’m here to tell you that while you may not think you need it, you do. Love is critical for us to live. Babies who are not held can fail to thrive because they lack that love. They actually can stop gaining weight, stop growing, and even die if they don’t get held. Love is needed by everyone. 

 

Today, put love back into the world. With social distancing measures still in place, hugging people might not be the best idea. But there are other things that you can do! Wave at a neighbor, tell someone how much you like their new mask, pay for the person behind you in the coffee line. You never know how much a small act of love can impact a person. 

 

As we close out this series, I want to leave you with one last verse. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”