Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)
Virtues are not much in our conversation these days. Perhaps it is because of the current culture of relativism where everybody does what is right in their own eyes and do not recognize any moral absolutes. The phrase often used is, “what is true for you may not be true for me.” (I hope that those following that philosophy are not keeping track of the balance in my checkbook!) But the reality is that we are seeing the effect of this kind of thinking in our current economic situation, where those who were responsible for the billions in our economy did unthinkable things for which now everyone will suffer the consequences.
C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, describes virtue as residing in two groups (Cardinal and Theological). Cardinal (a word coming from the Latin for “hinge of the door”) describing those virtues that are “pivotal” —Prudence, Temperance, Justice, and Fortitude) that all civilized people recognize. Lewis describes “Prudence” as practical common sense; “Temperance” as going the right length and no further; “Justice” being more aptly described today as fairness, honesty, truthfulness, and promise-keeping; and “Fortitude” as courage that faces danger and remains under pain (Guts).
The “Theological” virtues will be more familiar to the ears: “Faith,” “Hope,” and “Charity.”
“Faith” in the common sense is the “art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” In the higher sense, it is trust that the promises of God are true even though I may not see them except through a darkened glass.
“Hope” is described as looking forward to our heavenly estate and—because of this—changing the world in which we live.
“Charity” in the original definition means more than alms but rather, “Love” in the Christian sense, which is to say love as a state of the will and not an emotion.
Perhaps the mind would see better if in 1 Corinthians 13 we would say, Jesus is patient and kind, Jesus is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude; Jesus does not demand His own way, is not irritable, and keeps no record of being wronged. Jesus does not rejoice in injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out; Jesus never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.… For when we see Jesus, then faith, hope and charity abide in us because of His presence and not our self-effort.
Love is...
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)
Virtues are not much in our conversation these days. Perhaps it is because of the current culture of relativism where everybody does what is right in their own eyes and do not recognize any moral absolutes. The phrase often used is, “what is true for you may not be true for me.” (I hope that those following that philosophy are not keeping track of the balance in my checkbook!) But the reality is that we are seeing the effect of this kind of thinking in our current economic situation, where those who were responsible for the billions in our economy did unthinkable things for which now everyone will suffer the consequences.
C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, describes virtue as residing in two groups (Cardinal and Theological). Cardinal (a word coming from the Latin for “hinge of the door”) describing those virtues that are “pivotal” —Prudence, Temperance, Justice, and Fortitude) that all civilized people recognize. Lewis describes “Prudence” as practical common sense; “Temperance” as going the right length and no further; “Justice” being more aptly described today as fairness, honesty, truthfulness, and promise-keeping; and “Fortitude” as courage that faces danger and remains under pain (Guts).
The “Theological” virtues will be more familiar to the ears: “Faith,” “Hope,” and “Charity.”
“Faith” in the common sense is the “art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” In the higher sense, it is trust that the promises of God are true even though I may not see them except through a darkened glass.
“Hope” is described as looking forward to our heavenly estate and—because of this—changing the world in which we live.
“Charity” in the original definition means more than alms but rather, “Love” in the Christian sense, which is to say love as a state of the will and not an emotion.
Perhaps the mind would see better if in 1 Corinthians 13 we would say, Jesus is patient and kind, Jesus is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude; Jesus does not demand His own way, is not irritable, and keeps no record of being wronged. Jesus does not rejoice in injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out; Jesus never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.… For when we see Jesus, then faith, hope and charity abide in us because of His presence and not our self-effort.