"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child" (1 Corinthians 13:11).
Honestly, I've never given much thought to this verse. It's always just seemed like part of the extra stuff that follows the really good verses about love. Those love verses are good stuff, even if we're all tired out from having heard them at every wedding we've ever been to. But I, with my all too finite knowledge of theology, have generally read the eleventh verse of this chapter as saying "Grow up, already!" I'm not much of a theologian.
There's got to be a more serious meaning, something far more profound and deep. I'm sure of it, even if I don't know it. That's faith, folks. ;)
Anyways, I was thinking of this verse just a bit ago, mainly because it got me thinking about the kind of faith and spirituality that children have. They have such a pure, unquestioning faith, and it's beautiful to see. It made me think that, though in many ways we do have to grow up and do have to put away the things of a child, perhaps the faith of a child is something we should fight our hardest to keep. Sometimes it feels as if we spend so much of our adult lives trying to recapture the depth of faith we had when we were small, as if it is that fullness of faith that we always long for. Maybe that is the one thing we should never put away, no matter how old we get.
Love,
Sara
[Side note: Seriously, folks, there's a lot of good stuff in the Bible, a lot of great stuff even. And there is tons of stuff about love. After all, God is love. So, if you're planning a wedding, be original. Don't go with Corinthians. Try Esther or Ruth. Scandalize the whole church and go with Song of Songs. :) Just, please no more 1 Corinthians 13. Props to Katy and Joe for choosing Hosea. And to Nicole and Anton, whose readings I can't remember, even if I remember so clearly thinking, "That is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard."]
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