One thing I like doing is reading the Bible in French. I've been through the Bible so many times in English, I've usually got a pretty good grasp of what it's saying at any given moment. As such, reading La Bible both maintains and improves upon my fluency, but then other times, I realize French is capable of saying things English might not be able to.
The most obvious difference is that English does not assign a gender to its words, but both Hebrew and Greek did. To some extent, English also lacks specificity in regards to certain pluralities. Because French grammar is built around the gender and plurality of the words, sometimes I can understand a concept I would be left fuzzy on had I just read the English version. The verb tenses in French tend to be more distinguishable than their English counter parts, unless you're a grad student in Linguistics.
Another reason I like reading the French is because sometimes French has a better way of defining something than English does. It's not too common, but in some cases, English has too few words to describe too general a concept.
Take love for example.
While English just has the one all-encompassing word, French has at least two versions, l'amour and la charité. The former is about liking and loving someone for who they are, (of course, it's also the hyper romantic version of love the French are known for), and the latter is about charity and servitude.
It kind of puts a new spin on it when you see when each is used.
1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter of the Bible, but interestingly enough, it's not so much about how to love your sweetheart as it is how to love everyone. With la charité being the sole word used there, it reminds me of what Jesus did when he washed the disciples feet.
My point, to love someone is to serve them.
Showing posts with label 1 corinthians 13. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 corinthians 13. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Love is all you need
If God is love, then it's true, love really is all you need.
Bear in mind, there's a difference between real, biblical love, and the popular definition of love used by today's society, cupid, and highschoolers.
Although Paul's explanation of love covers a lot of what would constitute a happy romance, nowhere in that entire chapter on love, is it specified that love is only for couples. The truth is his words on love can be applied to all circumstances where love is required.
My buddy Jesus taught entire sermons around one statement, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself." The only way we can show we love God is to walk in obedience to his commandments, by a conscious choice. The most important commandment is of course to love the Lord, but the next one echoes what Jesus said about loving your neighbor.
Before you start thinking your neighbor is the shmuck next door (or across the street if you need to gossip), you should understand who else we're told to love. For one, Jesus taught that we need to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. True, "enemies" is such a strong word, (in this context meaning the Greek word echthros; a foe, adversary, or one who gives reason for enmity or hatred--thanks Emerald! Love the concordance!), and most of us just aren't lucky enough to have any enemies. We can't all know supervillians, unfortunately. So, for those of us sans enemies, there's always the friend or brother or in-law who does something that drives us up the wall. If you love him/her, forgive them.
While we're talking about love, I'd also like to bring up love's superlative, that is, the most love you can ever show and the most love ever shown. If you love someone, you are willing to sacrifice everything for them, be it your social life, your physical strength, your money, or whatever. But, the biggest sacrifice you can make for love is to forfeit your own life for someone's benefit or protection. That's one reason I have such a profound respect for soldiers and sailors, but of course only one reason.
Back to what I was saying, the biggest demonstration of love ever shown was when Jesus died on the cross. Nothing tops that.
It's encouraging to remember what Jesus did for us, isn't it? Nothing can get me down when I'm thinking that, and I pray that for any one who reads this, they might find the same comfort, the same solidarity, the same hope.
Bear in mind, there's a difference between real, biblical love, and the popular definition of love used by today's society, cupid, and highschoolers.
Although Paul's explanation of love covers a lot of what would constitute a happy romance, nowhere in that entire chapter on love, is it specified that love is only for couples. The truth is his words on love can be applied to all circumstances where love is required.
My buddy Jesus taught entire sermons around one statement, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself." The only way we can show we love God is to walk in obedience to his commandments, by a conscious choice. The most important commandment is of course to love the Lord, but the next one echoes what Jesus said about loving your neighbor.
Before you start thinking your neighbor is the shmuck next door (or across the street if you need to gossip), you should understand who else we're told to love. For one, Jesus taught that we need to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. True, "enemies" is such a strong word, (in this context meaning the Greek word echthros; a foe, adversary, or one who gives reason for enmity or hatred--thanks Emerald! Love the concordance!), and most of us just aren't lucky enough to have any enemies. We can't all know supervillians, unfortunately. So, for those of us sans enemies, there's always the friend or brother or in-law who does something that drives us up the wall. If you love him/her, forgive them.
While we're talking about love, I'd also like to bring up love's superlative, that is, the most love you can ever show and the most love ever shown. If you love someone, you are willing to sacrifice everything for them, be it your social life, your physical strength, your money, or whatever. But, the biggest sacrifice you can make for love is to forfeit your own life for someone's benefit or protection. That's one reason I have such a profound respect for soldiers and sailors, but of course only one reason.
Back to what I was saying, the biggest demonstration of love ever shown was when Jesus died on the cross. Nothing tops that.
It's encouraging to remember what Jesus did for us, isn't it? Nothing can get me down when I'm thinking that, and I pray that for any one who reads this, they might find the same comfort, the same solidarity, the same hope.
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