Doors do not work without hinges. You can have a beautiful door, solid wood, fresh paint, the perfect handle, but without hinges, it just leans against the frame. It looks like it should work, but it cannot move. It cannot open. It cannot close. It cannot do what it was created to do.
That is the image Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is the hinge that holds everything together.
So often, we focus on gifts, skills, programs, and productivity. We celebrate how busy we are and how much we are doing. But Paul reminds us that without love, all of it falls apart. Love is not extra. Love is essential. Love is what holds.
Paul describes love not as a feeling but as a way of living. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love rejoices in truth. Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures. These are not soft qualities. They are strong. They are steady. They are what keep the door connected to the frame when life gets heavy.
When love holds, the church begins to take shape. When love holds, our relationships gain strength. When love holds, our ministry becomes meaningful. Love allows us to open wide to welcome others. Love also gives us the wisdom to close the door on what harms, divides, or distracts us from God’s purpose.
In worship this week, we added the first hinge to the door. It was a small step, just one hinge and a little paint, but it made a difference. The door began to stand differently. It started to look like it might actually work. That is how love works, too. One act of patience. One moment of kindness. One decision to choose grace. Over time, love holds us together.
The question for us is simple but powerful. What is love holding in your life right now? A relationship. A calling. A season of uncertainty. A community that needs healing.
May we be people who choose love again and again. May love hold our church steady. May love shape who we are and how we live. Because when love holds, everything else can finally begin to move the way God intends.
Grace and peace because grace always goes before peace,
Pastor Sharon