Charity is the characteristic mostly to be desired by the faithful. Charity is more than love, far more. Charity is everlasting love, perfect love, the pure love of Christ which endures forever.

Charity 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 is a gift of the Spirit which must be gained if one is to have salvation. It becomes quite clear how useless all other gifts, efforts and talents are if they are not accompanied by charity, 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.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

If charity is the bonding gift of the Spirit; what is it 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, 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.