“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13.4-8, 13
Who doesn’t love a little Tina Turner? Even though I changed “it” to “us,” her song asks a profound question: What’s love got to do with us? If you look at the world today, it’s hard not to notice a disconnect between the kind of love we’re called to live out, and the way we actually live.
We throw the word “love” around so casually. It’s on coffee mugs and bumper stickers. We say we love pizza, or our pets, or our favorite TV shows. For some, love means everything. For others, it’s lost all meaning and become an overused cliché in the English language. And yet, love is supposed to be the heartbeat of our faith. The foundation of how we live. The one thing Jesus said mattered most.
But let’s be honest: many of us take the freedom to love for granted. Some only love the “right” kind of people. Or they twist it…using “love” as a cover for control, manipulation, or harm. So, maybe it’s time we ask: What’s real love got to do with us? And what could it mean for a world that feels more divided, overwhelmed, and anxious than ever?
1 Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings. It’s poetic, beautiful, and familiar. But if we read it the way Paul intended, it’s not just sweet sentiment. It’s a challenge. A correction. A spiritual mic drop.
Paul wasn’t writing a Hallmark card. He was calling out a church that had lost its way. A community full of pride, division, and ego. And he was reminding them – and us – that love isn’t optional. It’s intentional.
He’s not talking about romantic love. He’s describing a radical, gritty, everyday kind of love. The kind that takes work…that stretches us…that shows up even when it’s inconvenient.
Because let’s be real: Love is patient? Not when someone cuts you off in traffic. Love is kind? Not when you’re doomscrolling and your blood pressure’s rising. Love isn’t arrogant or rude? Have you been on social media lately?
But Paul doesn’t let us off the hook. Every word he uses to describe love is a verb. Love isn’t a feeling we try on to see if it fits. It’s something we do. Something we choose. And without love, Paul says, we’re just noise. We can pray like saints, show up to church every Sunday, attend every Bible study, but if it’s not soaked in love, it’s empty. The same goes for what we do outside the church as well.
So, what’s love got to do with us? Maybe the better question is, “Does my life look like love?” Because in a world that’s hurting, divided, and desperate for something real, love isn’t just a nice idea. It’s the most powerful force we’ve got.