We have been unpacking 1 Corinthians 13, Paul’s treatise on Love, and looking specifically at what Henry Drummond taught in his essay on this chapter entitled, “The Greatest Thing in the World.” This month we approach one of the hardest virtues: “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth” We have summarized it: Good Thoughts.
What is so hard about thinking good thoughts, you might be asking yourself. Sounds easy. But when we examine the entire virtue, Paul is saying that when bad things happen to people we dislike or to persons or organizations we despise, loving people are not allowed the “guilty pleasure” of dancing a jig or relishing the fact that the calamity happened to someone who we think deserved it. The German language actually has a word that encompasses that very perverted, but all too human response. The word is Schadenfreude, which is, translated “malicious joy in the misfortunes of others.” It is altogether too easy to indulge this vice.
Think about it for a minute. When our ex-husband breaks up with the woman he dumped us for, we immediately want to call our girlfriends and celebrate. Or, when the boss that fired us get fired himself, we feel an immense guilty satisfaction over his misfortune. On a popular level, think about how Jennifer felt when she learned Angie had dumped Brad. Or, perhaps consider the party that broke out in the Clinton HQ once Trump’s sexually explicit video was released to the public? All too common a response! This virtue is very difficult to learn and to practice.
The reason Paul lists it and makes it the template for truly loving people is because when we delight in someone else’s misfortune we pollute our own hearts. When we indulge unloving spirits, we infect our souls with a disease that will difficult to cure. We become loving people when we rejoice in the good about people and hate the sin that causes others to stumble. As sinners, we can rest assured that someday we will be the one on our knees bleeding. And wouldn’t feel good to have someone reach down and kneel with us when we’ve stumbled rather than sneering and taking delight in our adversity?
The road to a loving, Christ-centered spirit must travel down some very difficult situations. Being kind, patient and humble are tough…but hating sin in ourselves and sin’s effect on others and not indulging a malicious glee when others get beaten-down is the hardest virtue we will ever accomplish. Think about how the world would be if we, as loving people, comforted the fallen instead of celebrating their downfall?
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