“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV
January 27 (last Saturday) was Holocaust Remembrance Day. By your ages, most of you have covered the Holocaust in school and know of the atrocities that were committed against humanity, and Jews in particular, in the 1930s and 40s. The day is honored internationally as a time to honor and remember those who suffered and died.
When remembering about this horrible time in history, we are reminded of the suffering of so many happening right now. The ongoing atrocities in Gaza/Israel, Ukraine, and Sudan are all reminders of present-day suffering on a mass scale. Where is God in all of this? For some, this question brings enough weight and doubt that they walk away from their faith. To believe in a personal God when so much suffering exists is a bridge too far.
A devotional I read this week talks about “faith” as a practice. Faith is embedded in our actions – prayer, meditation, helping those in need, worship at church – are all commonly part of our “faith” practice. It is comforting for me to know that when my internal faith is riddled with questions, my external faith can continue to practice. And in practicing my faith through actions, I can sometimes quell the demons of doubt and skepticism.
Our verse today from Paul talks about the gifts of faith, hope, and love. Paul reminds us that the greatest of gifts is love. … So when my faith takes a beating, and hope seems far away, there is still love.
Practice love this week, and your faith walk with God just might grow in the process.
Diana Kongkeattikul
Recent Comments