Charity Love
(The mother-figure here represents us all as the ones who should
be filled with charity love, and the children represent various needs to be
seen in the world. The one who has the pure love of Christ will give security
to the fearful, share his/her wealth with the poor, give education to the
ignorant, rest to the weary, food to the hungry, friendship to the lonely, etc.
Usually I do not comment the paintings on this site, but I do it here to show
the wonderful symbolism in the painting.) Charity love is the
characteristic mostly to be desired by the faithful.
It is more than love, far more. It is everlasting love, perfect love, the pure
love of Christ which endures forever.
It is love so centered in righteousness that the possessor has no aim or desire except for the eternal welfare of
his own soul and for the souls of those
around him.
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy
and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one
another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so
also do ye.
14 And above all
these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3:12-14).
Peter
said to the saints, "for
charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8). Charity is the
crowning virtue, "the end of the commandment" (1 Timothy 1:5). "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Charity love is a gift of the Spirit which must be gained
if one is to attain salvation. It becomes quite clear
how useless all other gifts, efforts and talents are if they are not
accompanied by the charity love, in the words of Paul;
1 THOUGH I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a
tinkling cymbal.
If charity love is
the bonding gift of the Spirit; what, then, is it actually bonding? There seams
to be a hint in Colossians 3:12-13, where the saints are instructed in how to
live in the greatest love one towards each-other; “bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ
forgave you, so also do ye”; all these things are included in, and are bonded
and perfected by Charity love, the pure love of Christ.
No-one who claims to be a servant of God can be lacking
in this gift of the Spirit. No true servant of God is
as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Neither do they sway mighty words
like the sword of God - yet being filled with nothing but hot air and
themselves. Such servants of their own ego will get their checks, fans and
ratings, yea, they have their reward!
Whosoever is found to possess charity will be seen to
understand the simplest and deepest meaning of “servant”. They will see need and want. They will see pain and suffering. And the
true servant cannot look upon suffering with the least degree of comfort, but
will do everything in his/her power to alleviate discomfort in others, as long
as this is in agreement with the principles of righteousness to do so. Return Home from 'Charity Love'
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