“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is  love.” ICorinthians 13:13 

I don’t know where the members of the Beatles heads were.  I’d venture to say their music will remain for centuries.  The lyrics too, hang on for years.  In their song, “All You Need Is Love,” I can’t help but think of the words of the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the Corinthian Christians.  He spoke of the three things needful being faith, hope and love.  He was talking about the love of God and how it will withstand all this in this world and in the next.  The Beatles were talking about a different kind of love, but the lyrics of this song almost mirror Paul’s words.

“Love, love, love
Love, love, love
Love, love, love
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It’s easy
There’s nothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
It’s easy

All you need is love
All you need is love”

Our world is filled with hate.  We see it everywhere. Young children are exposed to hatred when they start school and the class bully begins to destroy them.  Hatred can be seen in city streets as teens go in search of a sense of belonging by joining a gang.  They need a family so desperately, they are easy bait for those who will turn them into  outlaws.  Hatred seeps into the workplace, where the climb to the top drives otherwise normal people into sharks.  As we grow older, the aging process turns us into angry people who think the world owes them something.  Our politicians, no matter what their party, are known to stir up hatred among the masses.  Hate is like a malignancy which starts small and finally overtakes those who feel it.

Hate is the opposite of love.  Love is patient and kind.  It is humble and caring.  It is a word we need to revive and start putting back into action.  It requires more work than hate, because we don’t always have the patience or kindness to turn the other cheek.  If we believe we’re right, it’s tough to accept another’s opinion.  Love is measured in how we treat people – how we turn out thoughts from ourselves and become servants, caretakers, intermediaries, self-sacrificing and those who want the best for those they’re closely tied to, as well as strangers.

God’s love is unimaginable.  We cannot begin to conceive how much He loves each inhabitant of the earth – even those who have no use for Him. He loved everyone so much that He gave the supreme sacrifice to cleanse us from our sin and guilt.  No one can comprehend the pain He went through to save us.  His love is unconditional with no strings attached.  The only requirement is that we believe in Him and turn our lives around.  “Go and sin no more,” Jesus said.

When I go to heaven, I will no longer need faith.  I will no longer need hope. Those things will be swallowed up in death.  All I need is love.  God is love and is all I will ever need.