CHARITY ENVITETH THE SPIRIT

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemingly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-12)

I have often wondered what we would behold if we were able to have our vision opened because we had matured in the development of charity sufficiently to be enlighten with an increase of understanding. This enlightenment, seemingly, would allow us to see beyond the darkness of the mortal limitations which now veil our knowledge and stifle our actions which might be very different if they were strengthened by Christ’s pure love.

We can only wonder about the world which lies beyond that door now firmly shut because of our contentious, divisive and warlike natures.

We can only wonder about the beautiful scenes we might behold if our eyes were no longer glazed over and dimmed by unceasing selfish seeking of stuff.

We can only wonder about the melodious sounds which might flow to our ears if we could clear the static and interference which blares constantly from our multiple media devices.

We can only wonder about the freshness of a world which is no longer polluted and destroyed in an attempt to satiate our insatiable appetites and desires.

We can only wonder about a world where our minds are so filled with truth that we no longer hunger or thirst after illusive understandings.

In his second epistle to the Corinthians Paul teaches that besides increasing the attribute of charity in our lives as an aid to seeing and understanding the world beyond the darkened glass, we must also develop a sensitivity to the whisperings of the Spirit through our acceptance of Jesus as the Christ.

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3: 4, 5, 16-18)

We can only wonder what we might behold in the glass as we become a little more patient, a little more kind, envy a little less, a little less prideful, a little less boastful, a little more refined, a little less selfish, a little less contentious, thinking less evil, and rejoicing more in truth.

It seems the promised influences of the Spirit will begin to open jammed doors, deglaze dimed eyes, clarify sounds, breathe freshness, and brighten our understanding as we inchingly add charity to our lives.