“Love is not easily angered.” – 1 Corinthians 13:5
Why did I choose to use this particular image for the blog topic – Love is not easily angered?
Hubby and I thought it would be fun to walk out to this lighthouse. (At the time we had no idea it was possible to drive out there. From our perspective, walking was the only way.)
Never mind that there was a large warning sign as we headed down the trail to the beach …
Check out those angry waves crashing on the lava trail which hubby and I carefully picked our way across. This is what it feels like trying to have a relationship with someone who is easily angered. The sign says: “Caution!” Trying to have a relationship with someone who is easily angered is like trying to cross “Difficult and Dangerous Terrain.”
Hence, why I chose to use this particular photo for – Love is not easily angered.
Continuing on …
“Love keeps no record of wrongs.” – 1 Corinthians 13:5
Why this particular lighthouse? This lighthouse is Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. As you can see, the light tower is perched atop the lightkeepers home. You basically have to pass through the attic to access the light tower.
When we keep a record of wrongs, mentally in our head, it’s like storing up an attic full of unhelpful clutter and garbage. How can the lightkeeper pass through the attic to keep fuel in the light if the attic is so full and cluttered with garbage everywhere?
Eventually, when we store up a record of wrongs, mentally in our head, the “attic” of our life becomes impassible. There’s no way to get to the light tower anymore. There’s no way to fuel the light anymore. When we store up a record of wrongs in our mind, eventually our mind is so cluttered with all the wrongs done against us that the light of Jesus Christ is no longer able to shine from our life. God can’t give us new “fuel” for each day because the “attic” is too full!
This, to me, sums up what it looks like to store up a record of wrongs in our mind.
Continuing on …
“Love does not delight in evil.” – 1 Corinthians 13:6
In the blog post “Love does not delight in evil” I mentioned that this is Point Bonita Lighthouse … at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. If you were able to look around the headland to the left, you would see, off in the distance, the Golden Gate Bridge.
It seemed only fitting to use this lighthouse for the blog post – Love does not delight in evil – because located within San Fancisco Bay is Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz prison was where people would go who delighted to do evil. Love does not delight in evil … but rather, love rejoices with the truth!
“Love rejoices with the truth.” – 1 Corinthians 13:6
Lime Kiln Lighthouse is such a happy lighthouse. It always seems so cheerful to me! As you look at the photo, the land here where Lime Kiln Lighthouse is located is the United States of America. Those mountains way out over there and that land over there across the water … that is Canada.
The truth is that this is my country over here … and that over there is the country of Canada. The truth is that we each have our own property. The truth is that we are happy neighbors. The truth is that the pods of migrating whales coming up through these waters don’t care whether this is my country or that is their country. The truth is that we all share these waters. The truth is that we all share these beautiful views. And the truth is that we are all happy neighbors with each other.
Love rejoices with the truth.
Continuing on …
“Love always protects.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7
Why this particular lighthouse for the blog post – Love protects? This lighthouse is located at the entrance to the harbor of Naples, Italy. What you can’t see is that just off to the right, just out of the view of the camera is Mt. Vesuvius. The same Mt. Vesuvius which buried Pompeii back in AD 79.
The Apostle Paul came sailing through these waters on his way to Rome as a political prisoner in the spring of AD 60. Mt. Vesuvius would have been looming large, having not yet erupted, when Paul passed through these waters. The port Paul arrived in was Puteoli, just around the headland and a little to the north of where we are in this photo here.
This photo, to me, seemed the perfect picture of “Love protects” because Paul’s ministry was one of protecting the flock of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the Christians of Corinth to protect them from arguing, fighting, and division amongst themselves. Paul wrote to the Christians of Corinth to protect them from sexual immorality. Paul wrote to the Christians of Corinth to protect them from false teaching.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13 – instructing about love – to protect. These instructions about how to love are written to protect us. To protect us from envy. To protect us from jealously. To protect us from pride. To protect us from being rude towards each other. To protect us from being boastful and proud. To protect us from delighting in evil.
Love protects.
Continuing on …
“Love always trusts.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7
“Love always hopes.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7
“Love always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:7
“Love never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8
Cattle Point Lighthouse might not look like a “typical” “normal” lighthouse. But that doesn’t mean it is any less. It still stands tall and shines the light! It still warns, faithfully! It can be counted on.
Love doesn’t always look like we expect it to. But that doesn’t make it is any less. Just because love might look a little different than we are expecting, this does not discount it. Love that is true stands firm and solid … no matter what! Love that is true is faithful! Love that is true can be counted on! Love never fails.
The Apostle Paul wrote these instructions concerning love to the people who lived here … in the ancient city of Corinth.
And God chose to include them in our Bible because he wants us to likewise gain instruction by them today … right here where we are … right now. God wants us to love well. God wants us to love people well.
