We live in a world that loves what is new. New ideas, new programs, new plans, new energy. Even in the church, it is easy to believe that if we just do more or do it better, everything will fall into place. But Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13 that not everything lasts. Knowledge fades. Gifts change. Even the things we work hard to build can pass away. Love, however, never ends.
That truth is both comforting and challenging. Comforting because it reminds us that God’s love does not depend on our performance or productivity. Challenging because it asks us to look honestly at what motivates us. We can teach, preach, sing, and serve with great passion, but if love is missing, all of it becomes noise. Like a door without hinges, it cannot stand or function the way it was meant to.
This week in worship, we added a second hinge to the door and began to paint it. The door is starting to take shape. It is becoming stronger, more stable, more whole. That second hinge represents endurance. Love that lasts when things are hard. Love that remains when excitement fades. Love that keeps holding even when the door gets heavy.
Paul tells us that right now we see only in part. Our understanding is limited. Our vision is incomplete. But God’s love is not partial. God fully knows us and fully loves us. That love is what carries us through change, uncertainty, and growth. It is what allows transformation to happen slowly and faithfully, like brushstrokes of paint building toward something new.
Love that lasts is not flashy. It is steady. It shows up again and again. It keeps choosing kindness. It keeps forgiving. It keeps hoping. When love is at the center, what we build together does not fall apart when circumstances shift. It endures.
As the door continues to be restored, we are reminded that God is not finished with us. Love is still at work, strengthening what holds us together. And because that love lasts, we can trust that what God is building in us and through us will last too.
Grace and Peace because grace always goes before peace,
Pastor Sharon