Faith v. Love: Two Paradigms for Living

Two of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible are the Twenty-third Psalm and First Corinthians 13. While many of us learned both as children, we may not have realized that they offer radically different views of what life should be about.

Recall the image created in the Twenty-third Psalm: a solitary person searching for guidance and comfort. The metaphor is man as sheep and God as shepherd. Man needs food, water and protection from enemies. The psalmist is completely alone. There are no references to society, to friends, even to family. The message is this: Our time on earth is lonely, frightening and painful, but if we have faith and follow God’s laws, the reward comes later when we are freed of our earthly struggles and “dwell in the House of the Lord forever.” Psalms 23:6. This was a message for a desperately poor and oppressed people, who expected to experience far more suffering than joy. It still resonates with many people today.

Contrast that view of life with the one described in I Corinthians 13. Faith is important but clearly secondary. The highest value is “charity” (in the King James version) or “love” (in the American Standard version). “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” I Corinthians 13:2. While the Twenty-third Psalm is inward looking, this poem could not be more outward looking. There is a very different framework for living, one that puts compassion for others above understanding of mysteries, even above faith.

In The Uncertain Believer, I argue that the God of the Old Testament is something like Zeus: jealous, temperamental, and occasionally unfair. I argue that we should no longer think of God as the anthropomorphic being imagined by our ancient ancestors. But, assume for a minute, that there is an omnipotent, omniscient God who is truly “perfect” and is drawing up principles for living. Where do you think He would put outward displays of homage and devotion, even belief in Him, on the priority list, compared to showing compassion for those around us? If I Corinthians 13 is a good guide, and I think it is, displays of worship and faith would be far down on this list, if they were on the list at all. He would more likely begin his guide for living with the way I Corinthians 13 ends: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, but the greatest of these is charity.”