Spiritual Sunday: 1 Corinthians 13

Every now and then, as I read my scriptures, it will strike me how poetic some of them are. And when I set them out in poetry form, they take on a beauty that is not as obvious in prose style.

So instead of sharing my wise and wonderful thoughts (quit rolling your eyes) I thought I would instead share a piece of scripture in poetry form. I have not changed anything other than the way of presentation. This particular translations is from the Amplified Bible - minus the amplification. For those who read the KJV, they have replaced the word "charity" with the word "love".

If I speak with the tongues

of men and of angels,

but have not love,

then I have become only a noisy gong

or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy,

and understand all mysteries,

and all knowledge;

and if I have all faith that I can move mountains,

but do not have love,

I am nothing.

If I give all my possessions to feed the poor,

and if I surrender my body to be burned,

but do not have love,

it does me no good at all.

Love endures with patience and serenity,

love is kind and thoughtful,

and is not jealous or envious;

love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant.

It is not rude;

it is not self-seeking,

it is not provoked;

it does not take into account a wrong endured.

It does not rejoice at injustice,

but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

Love never fails.

But as for prophecies,

they will pass away;

as for tongues,

they will cease;

as for the gift of special knowledge,

it will pass away.

For we know in part,

and we prophecy in part.

But when that which is complete and perfect comes,

that which is is incomplete and partial will pass away.

When I was a child,

I talked like a child,

I thought like a child,

I reasoned like a child;

When I became a man,

I did away with childish things.

For now we see in a mirror dimly,

but then face to face.

Now I know in part,

but then I will know fully,

just as I have been fully known.

And now there remain:

faith,

hope,

love,

these three;

but the greatest of these

is love.