A Light in the Darkness

              As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. John 9:1 ESV             Here we find a man born blind, sitting beside the way, with nothing much to do. And we are given to understand this had been the occupation of his life, sitting and begging. We can imagine he had a lot of time to think. And what do we suppose he was thinking about? What do we find ourselves thinking about when life leaves us sitting beside the way with time to think? Do we ponder how we got there? Do we perhaps wonder if there might have been some other way we could’ve gone? Do we wonder, perhaps where else we might have ended up? Do we not find ourselves moving from practical questions, into those alluring questions of what if? There are few questions which hold the captivating power of, “what if?” The question immediately removes the constraints of what is which often seem to hold...

  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;   it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV             As much as we love to quote this passage, and memorize this chapter, our love seldom if ever lives up to this. Mostly we want to love ourselves this way, and so we want to be loved this way. Jesus shows us the picture of this true and perfect love, as He bore all of our sin, and all the rejection, and humiliation that humanity had to lay upon Him, and for our sake He even bore the wraith of the thrice Holy Trinity. He did not become irritable, or resentful, but patiently to this day waits that all might come to a saving knowledge. He did not insist on His own way, even in His humanity,...

  Love bears all things… 1 Corinthians 13:7A ESV             Ah yes, but how does it bear all things? For it is possible to bear without any real bearing, and this is what we are wont to do if left alone for it much easier. We will bear so long as may bear begrudgingly, or vindictively, or sanctimoniously. If we may complain much, accuse much, and esteem ourselves much at the same time well and good.             But, that sort of bearing is no bearing at all, and is certainty not loving: indeed it leads to more restlessness and anxiety than love. True bears patiently, not faintingly. True love bears the burdens kindly, not spitefully. True love bears without boasting, humbly shouldering the load as though it were no great thing. Verse five completely undoes our unbearable attitude of bearing for it says plainly in love we relinquish our own way. God’s way is better, a...