If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels
but have not love,
    I have become a noisy gong
    or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1, TLV

Being able to communicate well — in any language — is only half the effort to relay and live the truth. The other half is love. Not just lovey-dovey love, but the true passionate love that was demonstrated by the Son of the Creator of the Universe.

Paul’s chapter on love is beautiful, but it is also a challenge. How do we live out these pearls, especially in today’s world where the voices are so loud?

It begins where it always has . . .

The love spoken of here begins, as always, with gratitude. When we remember all that our Heavenly Father has done, all that His Son gave, gratitude should well up inside us like Old Faithful. If we remember how unworthy we were to receive His love, and the gift it was and is each day, then I think we can offer that love to others who might not deserve love.

But the greatest arena to demonstrate this type of love is in our home. Here we can practice and be more observant of our hearts. Because when we leave our safe environment and go out into a world that gnaws and claws for their own rights, love needs to be deep within us — its roots strong and sure in that gratitude.

Today, as we enter this world, whether through our front door or through the virtual doors, may our love be true.