“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing…And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
-1 Corinthians 13:2,13

It’s love that’s going to carry us through 2016. And, it’s love in action that will help bring others closer to God during this New Year. Paul, the apostle of love, shared with us the best description of the love we ought to have for one another. He emphasized that love is paramount, the most important thing, the thing that transcends every moral code, higher than any claim that anyone makes. And, without love, nothing matters.

People may say about love, “I get this feeling in my heart and I nurture it. Then, if it blossoms enough, I will love someone in action.” So, if you get to know a person who’s charming enough, perhaps good looking enough, or funny enough, then you will love them. However, that’s not really love at all because it ends quickly once the charm, humor, and attraction fades. What you think was love was only a reaction to a person’s performance.

One of the most insightful things that Paul shares with us about love is that love is not an emotion. Love is not a reaction. Love is an action. Love is what you do.

Prayer: Dear Lord, today and throughout the New Year, help me to express love to others as you express love to me – with no expectations and no conditions. Let my love toward others be an act of worship toward you. Amen.

Reflection: How would you describe the differences between emotional love and love in action?