Epiphany
January 29, 2016

Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 13:1-13

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. –I Corinthians 13:8-13

I think, Paul is saying in these words that love is the only complete, whole thing we know at this time and in this place. At least that is implied. He makes the succinct statement Love never ends and then he ventures off describing several things that are important to people of faith as being only known in part, incomplete, or not perfect. We people of faith sometimes get tangled in webs of partial realities when the solution to what we seek is among us whole and complete: love.

I just returned from a totally depressing seminar on the Oklahoma state budget problems. We have been living in the fantasy land for some years that we can have our cake and eat it too. The theory is, if we cut taxes the economy will grow so much there will be gains in state revenue. Tell that to the 7,000+ developmentally disabled persons on a waiting list for services, some as long as nine years, and to their aging parents who only what to be assured their adult child’s needs will be met if they outlive their parents. Tell it to the school teachers who have to buy supplies for their classrooms while working a second job to pay their own bills. Tell it to the prison security staff dealing with totally unrealistic ratios of prisoners to guards. Tell it to the prisoners who are offered no restorative services. Tell it to the people in need of health care whose only local hospital has closed.

Most of us probably don’t even consider that paying our fair share of taxes is an act of love or that assuring the common good is being provided in adequate and productive ways is also an act of love, but they are.

Prayer: Lord, help us to recognize our responsibly to ourselves and each before it is too late. Amen.