I recently posted this quote on a social-networking site, and had a reaction that I didn’t expect.   Friends without knowledge of the context of the verse in First Corinthians responded strongly:  “Obviously, you never had your heart broken!” 

This was not at all what I expected, but isn’t that how most of the world would respond?  Perhaps a man loved a wife with all his heart, yet she still decided to leave him after years of being together.  Perhaps a family adopted a child, but that child decided to live a life of crime and poor decisions.  Perhaps a pastor, who led a church well for years, ran off with a woman in the church to have an adulterous affair.  In all of these situations, love was given.  But, did love fail?

Let’s examine the context of Paul’s definition of love.

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, 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 trust, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”-1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Perhaps we are the ones that fail to love when we seek the interest of ourselves and not others?  But, what if we are seeking the justice of someone else?  Imagine your child was taken and abused by someone you deeply loved and trusted.  Did your love fail? 

The picture of love that Paul paints is a colorful one of forgiveness.  We are called to be patient, kind, without envy, without pride, without rudeness and sarcasm, without selfish motives, not quick tempered without keeping records of the wrongs committed against us.  We are called to protect, trust, hope and persevere.  We are called to forgive.

Does forgiveness fail?

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