My thoughts on the Apostle Paul’s words.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Spare me your prophetic utterances. Spare me your spiritual manifestations and recitations. You may be able to sense or conjure up God’s spirit, but I do not sense God’s love in you. I don’t need another man of faith and power. I need love.

“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Spare me your dry doctrinal distinctives, your arrogant exegetical excellence, and your angry apologetical arguments. You may challenge the integrity of my faith and the authority of my words. You may champion what is right and what is wrong, but I don’t trust your love. I don’t need another man of words and wisdom. I need love.

“If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Spare me your noble crusade, your grand plan, your magnificent dreams. I’m tired of your mission, your vision, and your values. I’m worn out by your petitions and protestations. You regale us with stories of worthy deeds and saintly sacrifices. I see and hear your religious works, but I do not see love. I don’t need another cause to fight, another battle to win. I need love.

“If I have not love, I am nothing.”

And what do I bring my God? Is my life a dust-producing effort? Are my works a vanishing vapor? Is this walk of faith but a meaningless battle to subdue an endless line of infidels?

“If I have not love, I am nothing.”

What have I won in exchanging love for power? What have I gained in sacrificing love for order? What have I gained in promoting truth at the expense of love?

I have gained nothing! I have gained absolutely nothing.

The absence of love is the absence of Christ. The absence of love is the absence of God’s Kingdom. Where there is no love, there is no reason for being.

Without love, there is no hope for my world, my country, my church, my family, and my future. Without love my future is nothing.

Therefore, I will choose love at the expense of absolutely everything.

“The greatest of these is … love!”

“Live from Seattle with Doug Bursch” can be heard 4-6 p.m. weekdays on KGNW 820 AM. Doug Bursch also pastors Evergreen Foursquare Church. Evergreen meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at 2407 M St. SE next to Pioneer Elementary School. He can be reached at www.fairlyspiritual.org or doug@fairlyspiritual.org.