It hopefully it does not come as a surprise to you that I read my bible. Last year, I read through the New Testament, which was a much slower pace to how I usually read the bible. Because I was reading slower, I got to really think about more things. So, something I did was to write verses I wanted to dwell on in my kitchen.
I just wrote them on the tiles with whiteboard pens, which works perfectly, in case you were wondering. It comes off just fine when you are done. Then, when I was cutting up veggies for dinner or making lunches, there was the bible verse, ready for me to read over. It had the bonus effect of being very visual, so the girls asked what it said.
The first verse that I had up was 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. I don't usually enjoy verses that are "cliche" or well known, but I had been listening to a Bible Project podcast on God, and they had pointed out something about love that I found to be revolutionary. Love is a verb. Love is something that happens between two or more people (or things). You can "love" alone. So for the bible to say "God is love", really highlights the idea that God isn't just solitary.
God is Father, Son and Spirit. That perfect union of Father, Son and Spirit together is love. When Jesus talks about knowing the Father and how the Father loves him, it really brings new understanding when you think about it that way. And the invitation of God is to humans, to also be in a relationship with him, and experience that love. Amazing!
So I was thinking about how "God is love" and reflecting on this verse in Corinthians, and up it went on the kitchen tiles for me to learn.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
I've heard sermons before when you read the passage and replace the world love with God, because God is love. The next step is to think about how we are supposed to be becoming like Jesus, and so putting our names in where love is. I've never gotten past: "Paula is patient and kind" before, because I know I've failed miserably there.
Anyway, having children, we talk to them all the time about how they can be loving, and this passage, up on the kitchen tiles, was the most practical thing we have ever used on the subject. It's easy to say "love your sister!" or "Be nice to that person", but what does that actually mean, or look like? What does it look like for a five year old? Having this verse was a really hands on and easy to understand way to teach them.
When the girls were getting upset with each other, we could say "are you demanding your own way?" If they were grumbling about not having the same toys, we would talk about how love is not jealous. Most often, we were explicit in expressing how to be patient and kind to each other. How we take turns, and share. How we put others first.
Sophie in particular was keen to memorize the verse, and because kids soak up learning like sponges soak up water, she had most of it in about three days. Even now, she likes to practice writing the first section out every so often.
What really made me excited though, was the day she was trying to explain to one of the younger day care kids that I look after what love was like. There was some altercation between the kids, and Sophie took the little girl by the hand and into the kitchen. She pointed to the verse and said: "Let me teach you how to love. Love is patient and kind. So we need to be patient with our friends. That's how we love them."
I know a lot of it is just parroting the repetition that she's heard from us, but my heart was full. I know we all still have a long way to go before we can love like Jesus, but I am encouraged. Maybe we can even change the world, one little person at a time, by simply resonating on this very idea: to love.
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