Why won`t you love us? (A letter to the Textile Christian)

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” God calls us, as ones who follow Christ, to love. Above all else, to love Him with every part of our being (strength, mind, heart), and to love those around us as we should ourselves. The standard of love is defined for us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Further defining of these versus is necessary to fully understand how we can achieve love. Love is more a thought and action than an emotion as our culture would have us believe. Love is patient: patient encompasses being tolerant, calm, accommodating, understanding. Love is kind: kind encompasses being caring, warm, helpful, thoughtful, attentive, sympathetic, hospitable, someone having or showing a friendly, generous and considerate nature. It does not envy: envy encompasses a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck. It does not desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to someone else. It does not boast: it does not talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one’s achievements, possessions, or abilities. It is not proud: it does not feel deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one’s own achievements, qualities, or possessions, or show a high opinion of oneself or one’s importance. It does not dishonor others: it does not shame, discredit, humiliate, degrade, cheapen, drag down, debase. It is not self-seeking: it does not have concern for one’s own interests before those of others. (note that needs are not interests). It is not easily angered: it does not feel annoyance, displeasure or hostility quickly. It keeps no records of wrongs: it does not keep past unjust, dishonest, or immoral actions or incidences in mind in the present and future. It always protects: it keeps safe from harm or injury, aims to preserve. It always trusts: it believes in the reliability, truth, ability and strength someone. It always hopes: it wants something to happen or be the case. It always perseveres: it always continues in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success. As humans, we are not God. We are faulted and fallible. It is impossible for us to always be loving according to these qualifications, but we are called to try, every day in as much as we can. The worst fault is when we cannot admit to our own failings in being loving.