As If We Loved One Another

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Other texts: Jeremiah 1:4-10

You may be wondering why we are gathered here today. I myself often wonder that. Wonder less in the sense of being mystified as being amazed. Filled with wonder. It is a wonder that God has called us each to be here together. Perhaps you feel the same way. Or perhaps you are also mystified. Perhaps you wonder, how did you ever get involved with a Lutheran church like Faith? What are you doing here?

There is no social requirement for you to be here, as there was for previous generations of Christians. One thing you might say is that you are here because you want to be. But I’m not exactly sure that explains anything. It just moves the question along to another question. All those answers that have mostly to do with something that we chose or we did or we planned for seem to me to be slightly inadequate and incomplete. Perhaps, instead, or in addition, you felt called to be here.

I’ve talked before about the idea of being called. The word is sort of jargon-y. But like most good jargon, it was invented because other, similar words were not quite satisfactory. For starters, when we say we are called, we mean that God is doing the calling. A call is more than an invitation. It has an urgency that most invitations do not. Being called is like being hungry. Something you need to attend to, whether you welcome it or not. But a call is not coercive, either. A call is not a demand. You can refuse it, though maybe with difficulty.

Jeremiah was called by God to be a prophet. He tried to refuse the call. He was in good company in that regard. Many prophets try to refuse God’s call at first. Moses said he was not a good speaker. David was just a kid. Isaiah had unclean lips. Samuel was a young apprentice. God’s response in each case was not to be stern and threatening. God instead offers to help, to support, to augment, to make accepting the call possible. Jeremiah says “I’m only a boy.” Not a problem, says God, I’ll help you along.

When God calls, it is not like a job search. God calls the most unlikely people. God calls people without regard to their accomplishments, their abilities even, or their devotion, their faith, or their longing. Or their goodness. It seems like God calls without reason, so to speak. Without resumes.

People liken small churches like Faith to families. There are a lot of things wrong with that metaphor. But one thing that is right is that churches are not what sociologists called “voluntary associations.” Even though it seems people join them voluntarily. Churches are also called “affinity groups.” But as in a family, people in churches don’t necessarily choose each other, or even like each other. They don’t necessarily have affinity for each other. It is nice when they do, but that is not a requirement for membership. You are born or adopted into a family. You are called into a church.

Which brings us to the apostle Paul and the church in Corinth to which he writes today. There were a lot of bad things going on in Corinth. The people were fighting one another. Some snobby ones were patronizing the poor ones. Some people were complaining about how other people ate. Some people were putting on airs, fighting over who was the better leader, more valuable to the church. Paul writes them to say: Stop it! No fighting, no biting, as the children’s book says it.

He tells them that in the church they are to love one another. Things he says that love is, the Corinthians are not. Love does not envy, but they are envious. Love is not boastful, but they are boasting. Love is patient, but they are impatient. Love is not self-seeking, but they seek to promote themselves.

The kind of love that Paul is talking about is not the same as romantic or even friendly love. The King James Version translates the word as “charity.” Not giving money away, but being charitable. Generous of heart. It is the same word Jesus uses when he tells us to love our enemies as well as our neighbors.

The love for one another that is the cement of a church is not based on accomplishment, character, ability, or goodness. It does not depend on the worthiness of the other to deserve our love. They just get it, that love, worthy or not. God calls us without criteria (at least that we can see) to be in a community of people who love one another without criteria. We are called together for no reason to love one another for no reason.

When you love another, you put up with them, watch out for them, hope for the best for them. Things that Paul says that love does. But Paul is not asking us to first feel a certain way about other people. How can we control how we feel? He is asking his church to act in a certain way. Paul’s comments are a recipe. We are not angels. We are incomplete, as Paul says. We don’t see everything clearly. It is not automatically in us to be loving. So be patient, don’t strut around arrogantly, don’t gloat. The way to love disagreeable people is to act as if you do. See what happens.

The church is a place where we act as if we loved one another. Love your neighbor, says Jesus. Love your enemy. Act as if you loved them, which is a good start.

A church is a good place to practice humility. Humility before God, certainly, but humility toward one another also. It is place where our normal way of judging and trusting people is put aside.

We have a lot in common here at Faith. That is a blessing. Not all churches do. But all churches are gatherings of people called by God. That is why we are gathering today. Because of our calling, we trust others before they deserve our trust. We trust them the minute they walk in the door. We love them before we know them well enough. That they are here is sufficient.

It’s a wonder.

Thanks be to God.