Perhaps you have seen pictures of those ancient couples found in an eternal embrace in a grave. You would have to be a sociopath not to be moved by this image. Doesn’t this picture sum up the essence of the human condition? Being loved and loving someone. How is it that even in our so-called advanced society, we still only care about being loved? Look at our films, songs, novels, etc. They are all about relationships, tragedies, or fairy tales. Enjoying the love of someone else far transcends health, wealth, technological advancements, etc. 

So Paul does well to say that even among the gifts of virtues of the Faith, without love, they are pointless, and life is meaningless! 

But he doesn’t let love be undefined. He shows what love looks like. Most everyone has heard these famous phrases at weddings, etc. We nod our heads to them, applaud them, and maybe even cry over them. But if you consider them at face value, they not only seem impossible to accomplish but ridiculous to actually do.

Especially the ending, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things?! Paul’s description of love is completely impractical. Just like Jesus’ command to forgive someone 7 times 70, Paul paints a picture of a person who must completely let their guard down. You can’t get ahead believing everyone. At some point, you have to stop hoping that someone actually will change. You are a fool if you trust a person who has lied to you too many times. You have to be a real sucker to love, as Paul prescribes. You’d have to be stupid. 

Or you would have to be really secure in yourself and your well-being. To just give everything away to someone with questionable needs, you must know that you can afford to lose it. To put yourself out there and risk getting hurt again by someone you forgive, you must be confident that you will be ok. 

Yet those in Christ have this confidence! For we have been embraced to the death and through death by God. We have what Paul is talking about! Love. We are loved completely by God in Jesus. For who is more ridiculous and foolish in loving than our God? Who forgives us 7 times 70 but God. Who emptied himself out even while we were the adulterous bride more than God in Jesus Christ?!

We have been freed from worrying about ourselves to love others foolishly. We have been freed from worrying about our own well-being in order to give to others. We can put ourselves out there and risk getting hurt because God has our lives in His loving hands.

In the end, as Paul says, it is all about love. It’s what we crave. It’s what God gives and keeps on giving. In the end, even as we face death, all that matters is that someone embraces us and loves us. We are not alone. We are loved. We are free to live and love.