I. Introduction

In December 2013, my husband Jim and I traveled to South Africa to visit my family. This visit included a bittersweet journey when we as a family drove to my birthplace, Kenhardt, to bury my father's ashes. My father passed away the year before, the day after Christmas. We spent time mourning, but it was also a time of bonding and appreciating each other. One person was absent on this trip, who we had hoped would join us. It was our beautiful niece, Elzette, who had to work and could not take time off. When we arrived in Cape Town that December, Elzette and her husband welcomed us at the airport, and she, overcome with joy, immediately told us that they were expecting their first baby. Her happiness was written all over her face! We arranged to visit them during our vacation. It was awesome!

Jim and I returned to the United States on January 20th, 2014. Two weeks later, on February 3rd, we received the devastating news that Elzette had passed away in a car accident. We were thrown into an awful hole of grief and sadness. Elzette was widely regarded as a loving, caring, kind, sweet, and humble individual. We were deeply saddened by the loss of such an amazing human being.

While reading this passage from Paul regarding love, I began to contemplate where I have encountered such a beautiful and selfless form of love. Elzette's face came to mind, and on this 11th anniversary of her death, I thought it appropriate to tell you about her, the young woman whom we all loved and wept over, who left a hole in our lives, and who was like an angel among us.

II. The Love of Christ is not from this world

Paul talks to the Christians in Corinth about love as the excellent way, that even if he himself had all the spiritual gifts and talents and faith, and speak in tongues, and give to the poor and more, but does not have love, he would be like a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal, or would be nothing, or gain nothing. And so, none of the things they have or do would matter if they did not have love. He then describes in verses 4-7 what this love is. Love is patient and kind, it does not envy or boast, it is not self-seeking or easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongdoings. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. This kind of love, says Paul D. Gardner in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, "is a Biblical path that will bring the Christian to a proper maturity as a spiritual person."" This kind of love is therefore deeply spiritual. It is the love our Lord Jesus Christ lived out during His earthly journey and tried to explain to those who wanted to know what the commandment of loving God and neighbor meant, and what they needed to do to inherit eternal life. He would tell them parables like the Good Samaritan who showed unconditional and caring love in the face of danger helping the wounded man on the road. That man gave of himself and more, and Jesus told the lawyer who asked the question to go and do the same. Christ's love for humanity was not a love from this world. It was a perfect love filled with patience and kindness and humility, a love He wants us to live out, as we serve with our spiritual gifts.

III. Conclusion

The love Christ talks about is a love that must be part of our being, thinking, acting and living, says Gardner. Some would say, God came to take God's angel, Elzette, because of the beautiful and loving human being she was, but for those of us who knew her so well, we wished we could have learned more from her how to be, how to love, how to give of ourselves, and to see how she would have raised her children the same way. Elzette was a follower of Christ and a worship leader in her church. She inspired many with her love for God and her fellow human beings. And yes, we believe she is with God and that she dwells among the angels. Each one of you has your own stories of this kind of love you may have encountered. You yourself may be that kind of loving person. God calls us all to be filled with the love of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit as we serve and care for one another. Therefore, let us not waste time to not forgive and not show the patience and kindness that the love of Christ is about. Life is short as we see and know, in the story of my niece, the ones in your own lives you lost, and this week and this year... too many lives that have been lost. Let's go forth and be the loving people Christ wants us to be. Amen.