So, I was watching a video by the YouTube channel “Jolly,” where they have their friend who is a British priest, Reverend Chris, come and review a K-Pop music video by BlackPink.
They go in DEEP on this one covering topics of the id and ego with Freud as well as Greek goddesses such as Aphrodite, but also could not possibly leave out the actual Bible! Reverend Chris brings up the classic “Love is patient. Love is kind.” Verse from 1 Corinthians 13, and reads the full chapter to the boys of Jolly.
There is a line in this chapter that has been up for interpretation over the years, as most the Bible has been.
- Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror (New International Version)
- What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror (Good News Bible)
- For now we see through a glass, darkly. (KJV – chose to add the comma before “darkly.”)
This got me wondering. Is this speaking on the fact that we have a difficult time seeing who we are ourselves sometimes? I know I have struggled for many years to discover who I and and also attempt to not be impressionable. But in my mind, it is hard to be your own person in a world with so much stimuli. As they say, these days it is impossible to have an original thought. So how do we make ourselves original? I suppose, like in The Avengers, there are millions of possible outcomes.
And all of the choices that we make create just one single version of ourselves in the end. But anyway, tangent concluded. This got me wondering, well what were they talking about right before this chapter in which we learn what love is? So I backed it up a bit and red 1 Corinthians 12. This mainly focuses on what all the gifts that Holy Spirit gave us are.
14And a person’s body has more than one part. It has many parts. 15The foot might say, “I am not a hand. So I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. 16The ear might say, “I am not an eye. So I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not make the ear stop being a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, the body would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, the body would not be able to smell anything. 18-19If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But truly God put the parts in the body as he wanted them. He made a place for each one of them. 20And so there are many parts, but only one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” 22No! Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are really very important. 23And the parts of the body that we think are not worth much are the parts that we give the most care to. And we give special care to the parts of the body that we want to hide. 24The more beautiful parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it. 25God did this so that our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. 26If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, then all the other parts share its honor.
I know that’s a whole lot of words. But really, read it. This got me thinking. God was telling us that you can’t pick and choose what you like about your body and throw the rest in the garbage! This entire passage is about body positivity! Now, I have no Masters of Divinity like someone in my family. But this was my impression of this passage and it brought me tears to my eyes. God is telling us, listen. I made you exactly how I wanted you to be. You have nothing to be worried about.
Moreover, in the very next chapter, considering the verse on seeing yourself in a dimly lit mirror, this could certainly be how we look ourselves in the mirror and don’t see ourselves for the beautiful beings we actually are.
And when we have trouble respecting our selves, we’re definitely going to have trouble respecting others! So, maybe this love Paul mentions is not only love for others or the love of God or loving God, but love for ourselves.
Sophia Canfield 