Several years ago, a politician coined the term "compassionate conservatism." Many hundreds of years earlier, a missionary might have coined the phrase "loving holiness" when he penned the words we now know as 1 Corinthians 13. We know them well. We've heard them hundreds of times. The chapter is a favorite of ministers when performing marriage ceremonies. Some of us may even have the chapter on plaques hanging in offices and homes. "Love is patient, love is kind..." and all the rest. Hearing and reading those words gives us nice warm, fuzzy feelings. Those words bring tears to our eyes as we think of someone who put flesh and bone to them. But just as a political position might at times seem very lacking in compassion, so at times our claims of holiness may ring hollow to those witnessing the love expressed through our lives.

It threatens the very existence of our life in community. Not only was the author of 1 Corinthians 13 inspired to write the words, but he was motivated to address some dangerous tendencies harbored by those followers of Christ. In the previous chapter he had given them a gentle scolding for viewing community life through the shaded lens of self-important roles. Because of the wrong focus, the body at Corinth was becoming dysfunctional and their usefulness in the larger Kingdom was threatened. The author reminded them that not everyone could be the eye. Those fulfilling "foot" roles were also reminded that they were valued members of the body and that the eye would surely miss them if they were suddenly gone. At the end of his discipline, he encouraged them to pursue something "greater."

The greater thing, obviously, is love.

In the midst of our modern or postmodern, emergent, traditional or contemporary, busy or simple, crisis or process, law or grace church talk, maybe we should hear those "love" words again and remember the context in which they were written. Without love thoroughly permeating our lives in community, all the polish and knowledge we might have in our organization won't amount to anything of value. In fact, in the chapter of focus, the author uses the word "nothing" several times to describe the value of that kind of community life. For this reason, we might be our own worst enemy.

Maybe its time to take off the blinders and give our life in community a whole new look. Does our community of faith reflect "loving holiness" or something else altogether? Ask someone that's not a part of your community...they'll tell you.

Timothy Bourland

Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.