Di Greatest Na Love

Gbam. Gbam. Gbam. One bronze gong, wey dem dey beat again and again, dey fill one room with noise. E loud. E dey impress people. And e no mean anything at all. Na so, Paul talk, you dey sound if you no get love.

Corinth na city wey like to show off. Di church there get gifts, Paul talk say no gift dey wey dem no get, but dem don turn dem gifts to competition. When dem meet for worship, some dey speak tongues loud, others dey claim say dem get special knowledge, and people dey push make others notice dem. Some dey look down on others. Dem dey argue whose gift better pass. So for di middle of one letter wey dey talk about gifts and worship, Paul stop. I go show una one way wey better pass, e talk. And then e write about love.

Even if I fit speak di languages of human beings and of angels, but I no get love, I don become like brass wey dey make noise, or cymbal wey dey jingle. Dis love na di kind love wey dey give imself away. Paul continue. If I fit talk God messages and understand every mystery and get all knowledge, if I get faith wey fit move mountains, but I no get love, I be nothing. If I give everything wey I get to feed di poor, and even give my own body, but I no get love, e no gain me anything. All di gifts for di world, Paul talk, na zero without love.

Then e describe how love be. And e sound like list of everything wey di Corinthians no dey do. Love dey patient, love dey kind; love no dey jealous. Love no dey boast, e no dey proud, e no dey behave anyhow, e no dey find im own way, e no dey quick vex, e no dey keep record of wrong; e no dey rejoice for wickedness, but e dey rejoice with di truth; e dey bear all things, e dey believe all things, e dey hope all things, and e dey endure all things. Love dey wait. Love dey kind. E no dey sulk when dem choose another person. E no dey show off. E no dey rude. E no dey insist say na im way must be. E no dey keep list of wrongs. And e no dey ever give up.

Love no dey ever fail, Paul talk. Di gifts wey di Corinthians dey proud of go stop one day. Prophecy go end. Tongues go quiet. Knowledge go pass away. Because dem be only part, and when di complete thing come, di part things no go dey needed again. When I be small pikin, Paul talk, I dey talk like pikin and I dey think like pikin. When I grow, I put di ways of pikin behind me. Now we dey see like for mirror wey no clear; but that time, face to face. Now we dey see things small small, like reflection wey no clear. One day we go see clear, and know everything, just as God know us well well. And then di last line. Now three things remain: faith, hope and love; but di greatest among dem na love.

Corinth dey famous for im bronze. Di Roman writer Pliny di Elder describe Corinthian bronze as one of di metals wey people value pass for di old world, e cost so much dat collectors dey pay big money for am. Mirrors for Paul time dey usually be metal wey dem polish, like bronze, and dem dey give only reflection wey no clear well. So when Paul talk about brass wey dey make noise and to see like for mirror wey no clear, di Corinthians know exactly wetin e mean.

Di greatest na love. You go find am for First Corinthians chapter thirteen. Words wey Paul write to one church wey get gifts, wey dey make noise, wey dey quarrel, and wey people dey read for weddings and burials since then. Gifts go pass. Love no dey ever fail. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which part of di way Paul describe love you go like make God grow inside you pass?