Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (New Living Translation)

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Let me strive to read the first three words and stop there until I “get it right.”

One way to read this—meaning one way that I have failed to read this up to now and suffered for it and hurt others—is that I must be patient with myself if I am to better love others.

“But I have this great stupendous thing I have to tell you that you really need to hear RIGHT NOW and I can’t hold it in any longer and YOU REALLY NEED THIS and I AM JUST THE PERSON TO TELL YOU AND…”

Not the words, thoughts, or deeds of a patient person. Not the words, thoughts, or deeds of a LOVING person. Please God, help me to love others; help my in my unbelief.