LOVE'S PORTRAYAL CONTINUED.

(8) Good humoured. It is not easily angered. v5.

A touchy person, one who is prickly and ill tempered, doesn't love others very much. Such a person is likely to perceive his fellows as a threat. He is suspicious of acquaintances - anticipating slights, expecting to be put down and quick to take offence. I know such a one only too well. He is rather self-obsessed and pre-occupied with his dignity, status and respect.

Touchy people are quite dangerous. Some of the disaffected black youths in our inner cities must have 'respect'. They carry guns and knives for 'respect'. They will use their guns and knives if they are not given 'respect'.

Genial, even-tempered, good-humoured folk love people. Barnabas was a man like this - a son of consolation. I have known pastors whose greatest gift has been a genuine, warm bonhomie. The late pastor George Bird of Bethesda, Ipswich, made life richer for many by his invincible good will.

I hope long suffering readers will forgive one last reference to Dickens. Surely there are few characters in fiction with more good-humour than the Cheeryble brothers. The very name suggests a sunny, happy-hearted disposition. Nicholas Nickleby fell in with Mr Ned Cheeryble when trying the register office for a job. What principally attracted Nicholas was the old gentleman's eye - never was such a clear, twinkling, honest, merry, happy eye as that. And there he stood .... with such a pleasant smile playing about his mouth, and such a comical expression of mingled slyness, simplicity, kind-heartedness, and good-humour, lighting up his jolly old face that Nicholas would have been content to have stood there, and looked at him until evening, and to have forgotten, meanwhile, that there was such a thing as a soured mind or a crabbed countenance to be met with in the whole wide world.

Nicholas Nickleby's chance encounter with Mr Cheeryble proved a great blessing. The old man's appearance was an accurate reflection of a loving heart.

(9) Forgetful. It keeps no record of wrongs.

We can keep a record of wrongs without hardly realising it. This was true of Corrie ten Boom. In her book, 'Tramp for the Lord', she has a chapter entitled, 'The Blacks and Whites of forgiveness.' When Corrie was almost 70 some Christian friends she loved and trusted did something that hurt her. Ten years later she thought that she had forgiven them. However, an American friend, on a visit to Holland, brought the matter up and asked Corrie if the people who had wronged her had accepted her forgiveness. This is how Corrie reacted:

"They say there is nothing to forgive! They deny it ever happened. No matter what they say, though, I can prove they were wrong." I went eagerly to my desk. "See, I have it in black and white! I saved all their letters and I can show you where ..... ." Corrie was convicted out of her own mouth. She had to pray, "Lord Jesus, who takes all my sins away, forgive me for preserving all these years the evidence against others! Give me grace to burn all the blacks and whites as a sweet-smelling sacrifice to Your glory."

Later that night she went to her desk and pulled out the letters, curling with age, and fed them into her little coal-burning stove.

During my 37 years as a schoolteacher I forgave my pupils a lot and they forgave me even more! Most of my students forgot my errors of judgement, bad tempered outbursts and careless remarks. They didn't keep a little list! They showed me love.

There are Christians who never forget - a mistake, a word out of place, some thoughtlessness, a misunderstanding, a slight, an oversight, a criticism .... . Love is not like that. Love keeps no list. It puts the failings and foibles of fallible brethren out of sight and out of mind.

(10) Benevolent. Love does not delight in evil.

Paul was probably referring not so much to a delight in doing what is wrong as the malicious pleasure that comes from hearing or saying something derogatory about someone else. It is possible to enjoy gossiping to the discredit of a fellow Christian. There is no love in it!

A benevolent person will take no pleasure in hearing or speaking about disputes within the church and Christians falling out with one another. Rather, a benevolent Christian rejoices in hearing and speaking well of his brothers and sisters.

On my fairly frequent visits to see Henry Underwood he never liked me to be critical of mutual acquaintances. It made him uneasy and he hastened to change the subject. He loved, really genuinely loved, to hear me speak well of people. Henry was a man like Mr Ned Cheerybyl; his beaming countenance evinced a benevolent nature.

(11) Honest. Love ... rejoices with the truth.

We live in an age of spin. Truth is deliberately obscured, twisted and distorted by politicians to gain an advantage. There have been times in the last ten years when Tony Blair has not rejoiced with the truth. Anyone who employs spin has no real love for the public. Politicians who deceive, mislead and manipulate show contempt for those they pretend to serve.

Politicians are not the only ones who spin. Headmasters are inclined to do it on speech days! I have heard reviews that certainly accentuated the positive! Headmasters can be in denial over the problems that exist in their schools. This does not help anyone. The schoolteacher who has no standards, no principles and no consistency doesn't love his pupils!

Even churches go in for spin. Leaders can make out that things are better than they are. Difficulties and setbacks are swept under the carpet.

The man who rejoices with the truth will tell it as it is. There was no duplicity with Jesus. He was the truth and rejoiced to tell the truth. Christians should certainly recognise his truth; rejoice to hear it, rejoice to proclaim it and rejoice to live it.

The truth does men good - that is why love rejoices with the truth. One of the truly admirable things about Paul was his willingness to tackle difficult problems. He was honest with the Corinthians; he told them the truth even though he knew it would hurt. Why? - Because the truth also cleanses and heals. Paul loved the Christians at Corinth and so could do no other.

Christians cannot play fast and loose with the truth. I fear that this is just what Ruth Kelly, a practising Roman Catholic, is doing over her determination to introduce a bill outlawing any form of discrimination against couples in a homosexual relationship.

(12) Forbearing. It always protects (or endures).

It is the policy of Brockley Cricket Club to introduce some youngsters into the adult teams. The older players have to exercise forbearance as the stars of the future struggle to make the grade, ignore advice and generally take everything for granted. Undoubtedly tensions exist but on the whole our mature performers pass the test.

Such is Jesus' great love for his followers that he shows remarkable forbearance. Matthew considered that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. Mt12v20. He works with us in spite of our many imperfections.

If we love someone we will endure their weaknesses and protect them from failure and despair. So Christians should bear with their brothers and compensate for their inadequacies. I heard of a young man who volunteered to be the treasurer of his church. His offer was refused because he was not considered up to the job. I think he could have been helped to do it until he was fully competent. Churches need to give young and faltering preachers the opportunity to improve. It is no good writing them off after one or two attempts. I can remember a Mr Sewell of the Bury Railway Mission who delighted in giving me engagements as a teenager. I hope his confidence in me was not altogether misplaced. We shouldn't get grumpy and complain when the organist plays too slowly and struggles with the modern tunes!

(13) Trusting. It .... always trusts.

Love believes the best about people and this generally brings the best out of them. For 20 years I conducted Geography fieldtrips with my sixth formers in the Easter holiday. We stopped in youth hostels and worked in the exciting uplands of England and Wales. In the evenings most teachers would set their students to work to keep them out of mischief. I allowed my pupils to do what they wanted so long as they did not get drunk and were back at the hostel before the doors were locked. I trusted them to behave sensibly. They never made any trouble.

Before the World Cup Competition in Japan a few years ago there was a lot in the press about how the Japanese would cope with the English football hooligan. The Japanese welcomed them, were nice to them and trusted them. There were no problems!

A lot of Christians are held back in the Lord's service because they are not trusted. Some Christians are never trusted with responsibility. The attitude of timid church members is very much, "Oh we dare not make him ..... ." It was a long time before my church made me a deacon! The church in Jerusalem was like this where Paul was concerned. The leaders packed Paul off to Tarsus and forgot about him for 8 years. Only Barnabas, a truly loving man, apparently recognised Paul's potential. He it was who went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. Acts11v25. (See exposition on Acts11v19to30.)

Jesus is the supreme example of a love that trusts. He trusts his disciples to carry out his work on earth. The church has grown as believers have told others of the redeeming work of Christ. On the whole Jesus' trust has not been misplaced.

(14) Hopeful. It ... always hopes.

Jesus had high hopes of his disciples. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one. Jn17v20. Jesus expected his followers to succeed. He had confidence in them.

Where there is no love there is no hope, expectations fall and confidence is at rock bottom. The teachers who get most from their pupils are those who never lose hope and whose expectations remain high.

As Christians we cannot abandon our hope for the lost. The alternative is despair and defeat.

(15) Resourceful. It ... always perseveres.

The Greek word translated in the NIV, 'perseveres,' conveys the idea of responding positively, almost gleefully, to a challenge. A good example was the fat, England cricketer, Colin Milburn. I can remember him batting on one glorious occasion against the pace attack of the West Indies. The faster they bowled the harder he hit them. I can see him to this day, his face covered in sweat, hoisting his trousers around an ample midriff, preparing in joyful anticipation to receive the next ball with every intention of dispatching it to the boundary. Or, think of the sailor, who the harder the wind blows the more he seems to relish it.

Is our love like this? Does it respond cheerfully to a challenge? My fellow cricketer, Dennis Fisher, told me last week that he received a phone call on Sunday evening at about 6pm from his son Stu with a request to be picked up at Gatwick airport at 8.30pm. This involved a 5-hour round trip! It is not something I would happily contemplate on a Sunday evening. I told Dennis so! He replied, "I didn't mind." He didn't mind - because he loved his son.

If we love someone nothing is too much trouble. If they ask us to do something we will find a way to do it. We will respond with enthusiasm to the challenge. We will not be down in the mouth about it - all grizzly and whiney! No, like Mr Toots serving poor Florence in 'Dombey and Son,' we shall get stuck in with the utmost satisfaction.

I wonder as you review the glorious, many coloured spectrum of love how many of its facets you can claim to exhibit.

(D) Love's permanence.

So many things are superseded and become obsolete with time - the steam engine, typewriter, floppy disc and carbide bicycle lamp. How many of the cures for medical ills of 100 years ago are still in vogue today? There are, however, a few items that have stood the test of time: the comb, knife, wheel and violin. Some articles cannot be bettered.

Paul told the Corinthians that many of the very best spiritual things will cease:

(1) Prophecy will no longer be required in glory. There will be no need for anyone to bring a message from the Lord. In the hereafter we shall all be in closest communion with Jesus.

(2) Tongues will be stilled in the New Creation. We shall all speak the same language there.

(3) Knowledge will pass away. Here on earth we know imperfectly, in part, like little children with limited understanding. We see as though through an opaque, horn, window. A time is coming when perfection comes ... we become men .... we shall see face to face. vs10to12.

Everyone who so prides themselves on being right should heed Paul's words: Now I know in part, then shall I know fully, even as I am fully known. v12.

(4) Even faith and hope will be redundant in glory. Faith is being ..... certain of what we do not see. Heb11v1. When the Lord Jesus returns we shall see him and be like him and receive all that we now put our faith in him for. Faith, too, will cease.

Hope is the settled confidence of receiving what Christ promised. It is what we look forward to. At the Second Coming there will be no more looking forward to our inheritance. Then we shall finally come into it - we shall be given what Christ has prepared for us - a greater weight of glory!

Love is the greatest of all virtues because it, and it alone, will continue in the New Creation. It can never be made obsolete. Love cannot be bettered. It is the one quality of humanity that has an eternal dimension. Love is supremely the grace that makes us most like God.