Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; LOVES DOES NOT PARADE ITSELF, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NKJV).
Parades
"I love a good parade." I don't know when or where I first heard that, but it was years ago and far away, and the TV was probably Black & White.
I have NEVER liked parades. They are LOUD and BORING, and you have to stand up and WAIT for something even remotely exciting. And the jostling, annoying crowd is always pushing and positioning itself for a better view, which never comes and is never worth it even if by some bizarre happenstance it does.
Parades are the epitome of self-promotion. "Look at us, all loud and blary and costumed in ridiculousness! Here we are! Come see!"
Thankfully, agape love and self-parading are mutually exclusive. True godly love NEVER draws attention to itself. It just IS, like rock solid earth under your feet; there and sure.
In this world, however, self-promotion itself is touted as a necessary survival skill. "Branding is key," we are told by the worldly gurus of success. Publicity, no matter what sphere it is aimed at is good. Publicity, even BAD publicity is better than obscurity. I'm not convinced this is true even in commerce or entertainment, but I KNOW it is dead wrong in the realm of relationships.
I have seen the ruinous consequences of relationships comprised of self-seeking. It ALWAYS involves some kind of ongoing betrayal of trust. A mother, for instance, who "loves" her children only to the extent that they serve her needs or make her look good or keep her from feeling alone. The children become emotionally enslaved, with the mother as queen and tyrant, the children as serfs, always striving to please her majesty or face exile or banishment. Horrible.
I have seen life-long relationships blown apart because one or the other partner no longer feels sufficiently worshipped. It is tragic and painful to behold, like a parade inevitably, unstoppably, walking off the edge of a cliff, with the spectators standing in dumbstruck surprise.
Marching bands of self-promotion are antithetical to the kind of love described in this passage. And someone who practices agape love does not parade him or herself in any way, shape or form. Agape love always puts the other first. Always. Pride or dignity or reputation does not matter in the slightest. Keeping score does not matter. Being on top does not matter. Winning does not matter. The ONLY thing that matters is the good of the object of that agape love.
Jesus exemplifies this in so many ways. Being God, He lowered Himself to become a Man, a poor bondservant with no power nor status nor prestige. He washed the feet of His disciples, a task reserved for the lowliest household servant. Oftentimes He healed and purposely drew no attention to Himself. He had no place to lay His head. He was born in a cave, and laid in a food trough. He partnered with sinners and foolish men, and eschewed anything that the world thought of value.
And He loved so much that He gave His life as a ransom for others.
Parades
"I love a good parade." I don't know when or where I first heard that, but it was years ago and far away, and the TV was probably Black & White.
I have NEVER liked parades. They are LOUD and BORING, and you have to stand up and WAIT for something even remotely exciting. And the jostling, annoying crowd is always pushing and positioning itself for a better view, which never comes and is never worth it even if by some bizarre happenstance it does.
Parades are the epitome of self-promotion. "Look at us, all loud and blary and costumed in ridiculousness! Here we are! Come see!"
Thankfully, agape love and self-parading are mutually exclusive. True godly love NEVER draws attention to itself. It just IS, like rock solid earth under your feet; there and sure.
In this world, however, self-promotion itself is touted as a necessary survival skill. "Branding is key," we are told by the worldly gurus of success. Publicity, no matter what sphere it is aimed at is good. Publicity, even BAD publicity is better than obscurity. I'm not convinced this is true even in commerce or entertainment, but I KNOW it is dead wrong in the realm of relationships.
I have seen the ruinous consequences of relationships comprised of self-seeking. It ALWAYS involves some kind of ongoing betrayal of trust. A mother, for instance, who "loves" her children only to the extent that they serve her needs or make her look good or keep her from feeling alone. The children become emotionally enslaved, with the mother as queen and tyrant, the children as serfs, always striving to please her majesty or face exile or banishment. Horrible.
I have seen life-long relationships blown apart because one or the other partner no longer feels sufficiently worshipped. It is tragic and painful to behold, like a parade inevitably, unstoppably, walking off the edge of a cliff, with the spectators standing in dumbstruck surprise.
Marching bands of self-promotion are antithetical to the kind of love described in this passage. And someone who practices agape love does not parade him or herself in any way, shape or form. Agape love always puts the other first. Always. Pride or dignity or reputation does not matter in the slightest. Keeping score does not matter. Being on top does not matter. Winning does not matter. The ONLY thing that matters is the good of the object of that agape love.
Jesus exemplifies this in so many ways. Being God, He lowered Himself to become a Man, a poor bondservant with no power nor status nor prestige. He washed the feet of His disciples, a task reserved for the lowliest household servant. Oftentimes He healed and purposely drew no attention to Himself. He had no place to lay His head. He was born in a cave, and laid in a food trough. He partnered with sinners and foolish men, and eschewed anything that the world thought of value.
And He loved so much that He gave His life as a ransom for others.
