"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these
is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV2)
They had faith. At least we hope so, for they were a company of Benedictine
monks in a monastery on Pointe St-Mathieu, France, established in the 6th
century.
They brought hope. At least they did for the many sailors navigating close to
where these monks were located. You see, although automated lighthouses did not
exist in those days, the maritime dangers certainly did. Especially around la
Pointe St-Mathieu, which was littered with shallow reefs and was known to be a
real terror for any sailors nearby.
At nightfall the monks living in that windswept abbey would light a fire at the
top of the church tower. That light helped sailors navigate safely. Without that
fire, the sailors would have been hopeless!
The monks also had love. They must have! For why else would they have taken such
precautions to help sailors they had never met!
The monks are now gone, the abbey lies in ruins, and a real lighthouse, built in
1835, currently warns sailors of hidden dangers. Even the mighty church that
once stood on the sight has been destroyed. But the legend of the love of these
monks remains.
If it wasn't for love, there would be no hope and no real faith. Love after all,
is what motivated the Most High to send His own Son to be ridiculed and mocked,
and then to die on a cross. But nothing can truly eliminate pure love, and the
grave couldn't hold Him. Jesus rose from that grave, and His resurrection
assures us that we are truly loved by the Most High Himself. He paid the price
for our sins, giving us, all at once, faith, hope and love.
Although it was us who wandered away from God, God didn't want us lost for
eternity. He bridged the gap that separated us from Him, the gap that had been
created by our own selfish interests. Reconciled, we now can enjoy the full
extent of what faith, hope and love means.
When that same love is bestowed on us, it fills us with adrenaline, driving us
to love genuinely, just like God loves each one of us. We can't help but reach
out towards those in need, towards the hopeless, towards those needing mercy. We
can't help but embrace them with love from above and let them know that
everything will be all right. The Most High loves them! He truly does!
Love drives us to step out of our comfort zone. Love motivates us to be like
Jesus and reach the unreachable. After all, our Dad is the One who demonstrated
what real love meant, and once touched by it, we can't remain indifferent. If we
do, then we haven't truly grasped what His love truly means! God's love drives
us to the most intriguing adventures of faith, hope and love. It energizes us to
bring that light into the darkest places, even to the very gates of hell!
Let's all shine, just like we were destined to do. God's love is what makes us
shine, causing us to bring forth the necessary love that the world hungers for.
A love based on faith. A love founded on hope. A love from High above.
P. S. This concludes our series on Love. However whenever we have an
opportunity, we will share within this series, ministries that shine the love of
the Messiah. So this is not the end, it is just the beginning of our exploration
of what real love means.
Rob Chaffart
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