The greatest thing of all

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/senior_clergy/archbishop_jensen/articles/the_greatest_thing_of_all/

[sydneyanglicans.net] 30 Sep 2008--Faith and hope are indispensable marks of the Christian life and of any church. But, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:13, love tops the list. Indeed, he warns us at the beginning of the chapter that the possession of the greatest gifts without love is meaningless. Even being prepared to sacrifice all, including life itself, without love is fruitless.

Martyrdom is futile without love. This may seem ridiculous, for would not the martyr be self-evidently filled with love for God? As we can see from the contemporary experience of suicide bombers, martyrdom is no necessary proof of love. There may be all sorts of self-serving reasons for a person to wish for death, or they may be prepared to die for a cause or an ideology. The inner purpose should be clear and so too the capacity of the martyr to offer forgiveness and to pray for those who persecute us.