13 If I speak human or angelic tongues[a] but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 CSB)

I have written extensively on the value of love. In fact there is probably no more written on concept. But today’s scripture gives us a deeper and different view of love and more to point, what we and our works are nothing without it.

When we care for others there is a compassion that can only come from love of the individual. This is agape love that does not have to love the way or who the person is, but moves from a loving compassion that comes from within us through the Spirit.

This means that we do not, necessarily, have to love who the person is or how they act, but that we have compassion none the less. The Spirit loves the person through us and our actions.

But if I help everyone around me and do not have this compassion born from love within us, then we are nothing, we gain nothing. There is much to be gained ourselves by simply showing love. And more yet is what the world gains from this love.