NT: First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 13

I Corinthians 13:1-13

Love. Before proceeding with this love-themed chapter, we must explore and understand what love is and what it means to have love and to give love. We must understand the purpose of love, as well as the source.

Without projecting, creating and strengthening love we are a skeletal version of ourselves. The components of our bodies may scientifically explain the abilities of our body but without love, specifically giving love, we are dust... ash, unmoved even by the whim of the wind. The flow and beat of our lives is in giving ourselves over in service to compassion. 

The love frequently spoken of in the world today is a selfish love; people require the person they are with to supply them with value, purpose and happiness. Yet, relying on someone to tell you that you are beautiful, valuable, and intelligent is not loving them, it's using them. Love, actual love, is selfless which is why you must love and respect yourself enough to not require it from any relationship. Love is enjoying to give love. Taking a happiness that already exists inside of yourself pushing it outward, and elevating it. 

It is an arduous, analytical and personal journey to get to this point of understanding and especially this point of execution. However once achieved, one can truly understand purpose* and meaning in all things, including ourselves**. 

Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians references actual love. Love as the intention and purity of the universe. It is understandable that the complexity of religion might deter a person from believing in divinity but it is not understandable to believe in a void... to believe that the earth is without intention. Since before even our own creation, there was creation in unfathomable corners of the universe. If you only believe in one thing, let it be life. Believe in the creation of life, in recreation, in transformation, in all forms and journeys toward life, but never in a void. Evidence is all around you of purpose, of intent, of the love of creation. This earth's intention is to sustain life, to protect and inspire life and the cosmos inspires to help do the same. That is entirely selfless love. Create  love in your life without personal motive, exactly how the earth has always taught you to. 

Be observant, is love reciprocated to you selflessly? Creation guides us, instructs us, protects us and fills us with wisdom.

And now we are prepared to contemplate the chapter.

13:1 All that is thought, said and done without the intention of love (in its many forms) propelling it, is rendered moot by the stagnancy of selfishness. In every moment be aware of the intention behind your pursuits. On the branches of love are justice, compassion, wisdom, hope, faith, truth, safety, laughter, friendship... if what you are journeying toward does not have these intentions inspiring you to focus and to be productive, you waste yourself, yours and others' time and an abundance of opportunity around you.

Basically your life here on earth can be a beautiful song but without love, you're simply making noise...and it's a nuisance. That is to say: greedy and arrogant behavior and pursuits contribute the detriment of good things and good people.

13:2 Having procured all of the power of the universe, all of the knowledge of the world, all of the fame throughout humanity... a person is still empty without love. Why? Because you cannot be filled by something without substance. Love is the only substance there truly is. Love is the only thing which extends beyond all limits and boundaries of thought, feeling and universe.

13:3 You must not live emptily. There is life within you, your spirituality, and when you do or say any act or word it should be with passion. Your brain and soul and body are a collaborating miracle. You have the ability to think, perceive, discern, and decide. Do so! Establish the intention of your life.

You cannot go through the motions of life or faith without creating an authentic self. You must be emphatic about your beliefs and actions. If you say you have established values, you must be honest and consistent about also living them.

13:4 Love is patient. Love is patience. Love is allowing but also anticipating life to guide us as a current. Love is having the wherewithal to grow and to allow others to grow and to accept happiness and paths different than the ones we might have chosen.

Here is what love is not:

• Love is not envious. Love does not fight or yearn for attention because one must understand and find comfort in the fact that they are loved and attended to by greater forces than other humans (and by one's own love for themselves). Love understands that true love is given freely and abundantly and pursues nothing less. Love does not compete for other versions of itself because when your mind and soul are healthy, there is no other version of yourself you will ever desire to be. 
• Love is not arrogant. Love is loving to give humbly. Love is giving love without personal motive or requirement.

13:5

• Love is not rude. Devoid of greed, arrogance and selfishness, love is open and thoughtful. Love is aware and inspired by those who exist among it. Love's intention is to give love not to offend or hurt.
• Love does not pursue its own interests. True love is selfless. Love does not seek gain for itself because it understands that its gains are sought for naturally, automatically by its good intention in the world. Kindness begets kindness. Being in-tune with the frequency of the good-intention of the spiritual universe, love need not desperately procure to feel validated. Love is given to because of how much it gives.
• Remember that there are many versions of love. The love we speak of is not limited to romantic love. Love as justice, as truth, as friendship, as providing inspiration and opportunity where and to whom it is needed...
• It's also imperative to remember Matthew 10:4 which reminds us not to stay where we are not valued. We are not required give our valuable love to an ungrateful or even hateful abyss (person or situation). We are only required to be our best selves... but our best selves are not stationary, and we are meant to walk away from situations and people who do not understand this very lesson we are learning: what true love is. 
• Love does not have a temper. Love, as we discussed, is patient, kind, thoughtful and open. Love has no reason to rush or become vexed because of its understanding that we are protected, guided and loved by forces greater than we can even comprehend. Love understands that difficult situations and people are best dealt with with a calm and level head, that adverse and explosive reactions are unproductive.
• Love has no negative intention. Love is logical in that it understands any evil or unkind act is an act which undermines itself. Love understands that negative and even indifferent intention across the globe contribute to the detriment of many good things and good people. Love understands that every moment should be lived positively in order to create a life of positivity. 

13:6-7

• Love does not support anything contrary to justice. Justice requires that all life is treated with value and respect; justice requires that all life is sustained, protected and encouraged. Love loves life and justice is a promoter of life.

Love is:

• Resilient: Love understands that life is a schooling. Love understands its own strength and ability not just to survive but to rebound and to thrive. Love understands that the many facets of love and life are only learned through experience and therefore love welcomes the experiences of life. (A slight digression: I am reminded of the poet Rumi's poem "The Guest House", a beautiful poem about the reliance we now speak of:

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

• Believing: Rather than believe all things ignorantly and aimlessly, love believes in the value of itself in the earth and among humanity. In the purpose of itself to sustain humanity.
• Hopeful: Born of love's patience and kindness is love's constant ability to hope. Love is optimistic but also agile and productive in ensuring that the curve of life is always journeying upwards.
• Enduring: Love endures its own growth pains. Love endures the grow pains of humanity as well. We are all fallible. Love understands and does not allow itself to be diminished by others' mistakes or consequences, or even by the consequences of its own mistakes. Love learns and then grows... this is the process of endurance. 

13:8-9 Love is constant. Love is The Constant of life. Material wealth, power, fame... all of it fades away until it is obliterated completely. Spiritually, there is only love. Only compassion. Seasons change and years pass, generations come and go, eras on the earth shift and develop and age but love never does. Love always is.

Humanity is in awe of the immensity of the universe. To me, the universe seems quite small when I imagine filling it up with all of the love I have for my friends and family, for humanity and animals and plant life, my love for justice and laughter. My love for those things and people cannot be contained, not even in an infinite space. The universe is quite small indeed when I consider it relative to love. Love is the only truly immense existence. If the universe is small, surely everything else is too: all of our worries and greediness and frustrations and fears... but love is big.

13:10 The earth is a schooling and all around it and within it is the Spirit of creation. The spirit of creation will restore only truths. Love is the only truth. So we must not pursue useless things like wealth, power or fame because none of it will satisfy us and certainly none of it will last.

13:11-12 We are here to create ourselves. To be observant of our own behavior and of others. We are learning and growing, and not just physically in age. Throughout life we should continue to divest childish behaviors from ourselves in order that we might be complete, authentic, wise souls in the Spirit.

13:13 Live with faith, hope and love, the cultivator of all that is good, just and permanent.

* This link is a relocation to the study "Why Are We Here?"
**This link is a relocation to the study "Sourcing Happiness: Creation vs. Derivation"

NT: First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 12

I Corinthians 12:1-31

12:1-3 In the time and context of Paul speaking, the budding churches varied wildly in faith. Paul's mission was to align the churches with the truth of their shared God. Church 1 believed in a different "Jesus" than did Church 2 and so forth. Paul wanted them (and us) to understand that although there is variability in the expression of faith, the source of spirituality is the same for all.

12:4-5 We are members of a deputation to God. It is imperative that today's world and humans understand that culture, rather than a divider, is a method with multiple avenues for people of all different schools of thought to reach the same conclusion about life. Although expressed in ways that might seem unconventional to some, each culture is striving toward the same values held by the rest of the globe.

12:6 In diverse contexts, relationships, professions, geographical locations, mediums, and languages, we are each apportioned work and purpose on earth by God. Paul makes this point because he wants people to work together, to derive their ability to interact and even collaborate with each other from their commonalities. Although we might look and think and speak and behave differently here on earth, we are all on the same spiritual trajectory, children of the same Parent.

12:7-10 We are each expertly, precisely placed (quite especially when we awaken to and accept that we have purpose here). Our creator has custom-made each individual... consistently tailoring us to our context when we are willing and productive participants. God knows they ways in which we each can make the greatest impact on our earth and humanity and He equips us with the ability to do so in different ways. A variety of talents and abilities are given and dispersed throughout humanity.

Yet the nature of our God is compassion. We are given to in order that we may give. Blessings given to one are meant to be redistributed to many. This is why Jesus taught: To whom much is given, much is expected, Luke 12:48. This verse does not pertain only to money and material wealth. God gives us many things meant to inspire, defend, and create compassion and justice for those around us: artistic ability, keen discernment, an aptness for language, prowess in sport, musicality, humor... there is an endless abundance of gifts God gives to each of us with the hope that we will reign and utilize them for good.

12:11 "Distributing to each one..." I read a quote a few months ago that perfectly explained how strategically placed we each are:

"Do you realize the immensity of creation? Do you see the prescribed order of the universe? God has imposed his rules and laws on everything. What makes you think He exempted you from that?" Mahbod Seraji, Rooftops of Tehran

12:12-14 We are quenched from the thirst of seeming disorder and injustice of life by our shared Creator's compassionate and strategic intention. It would be a shameful waste of time to constantly categorize each other by differences when, superseding our short and temporary lives on earth, we are the same in spirit and are of the same Spirit. 

The world often seems disordered and unjust and the reason is because so many have not realized their instrumental role here. There is work to be done that is not being done. God has given us the blessed opportunity to truly matter while here on earth, to change and influence and create here. With such generously-given freedom, people are unfortunately able to change, influence and create the wrong things or to lethargically pass through life, indifferent to the ways they were custom-build to impact it.

12:15-19 These verses gently yet profoundly target insecurity and low self-esteem. We each go through periods of existentialism, wondering where and how and why we are. Our eyes likely do not realize how much we love and need and utilize them, but that does not diminish their astronomical worth. Our relationship with God is similar: we might not be keen or privy to understanding our astronomical worth, but we are loved, we are needed, we are utilized for good.

12:20-24 There is no varying of value among our differences in abilities and conditions. Regardless of whether or not the world or the self realizes their own or another's purpose or value, we are all significant to creation. We are all giving life to life, to ideas and emotions and conditions and opportunities... interacting with, inspiring and impacting the world and humanity around us.

12:25-27 Together we are a functioning unit of life. The life within each of us is expressed through how we live our lives. The energy we produce is absorbed into the earth and throughout humanity. Our happiness is shared as well as our sadness. Achievements as well as tragedies are shared between us. We are spawn of the universe and siblings of each other. 

12:28-31 Strive for these gifts from creation to be awakened in you. You were built with potential stored in every atom of your body (and you have billions and billions and billions of them). There are an innumerable amount of ways you can impact your own life, those around you, humanity and the earth. You are not as small as you think you are.

NT: First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 11

I Corinthians 11:1-34

11:1 Spiritual children carry themselves with humility. A wise person does not carry themselves with condescension but rather with the outlook that they are a student of life and of the content and context of their environment. Instead of preaching others to emulate your behavior, encourage them with and through your behavior to emulate the values that you are striving toward.

As each person is a student of life, each person comes equip with lessons. We can be privy to those lessons if we are diligent and observant. We may take many courses at once, broadening our perspective and deepening our wisdom, when we allow humility to stretch our perspective. 

11:2 There is something to be learned from everyone. Paul wants us to know that we are not following him, we are joining him in a walk of compassion toward Compassion Itself (the manifestation of divinity).

11:3 Paul highlights men, women and creation as three parts of one whole (a theme of this chapter).

11:4-5 Through men and women (as equal participants in God's compassionate message and work) each, Paul explains two errors of preaching through metaphor:

1. A person cannot preach of spirituality if they are doing so to promote or celebrate themselves. A teacher should be humble. They should teach without pomp and circumstance and instead should teach with frank reason and wisdom. For example: there should be no hierarchy within a spiritual or religious organization, no personal gain.
2. A person cannot preach of spirituality without covering themselves with compassion. Ulterior motives will poison and/or thwart and progression. Without creation's guidance, our accomplishments are lackluster at best, chaotic and regression at worst.

11:6 Teaching without an honest and spiritual tether with creation should be extinguished. When a person teaches with personal motives, they scatter, dishonor and confuse their students. Paul calls for all teaching done outside of compassion to be torn out. 

11:7 Humans must not ornament themselves because the greatest thing about us is our creator, having created us with the ability to love. We must not let material and ornamentation define our goodness, rather we must let our work in God's name do that. We are each representations of the other, members of the same family, and we have the responsibility of authentically respecting our connection.

11:8-12 Life is not a battle between superiority of the genders. These verses introduce the fact that neither men nor women exist on their own. One is from the other and the other is from the one. What matters is that both are of and entirely dependent on God. Paul made this point in a time and context when women were not equal citizens and for him to acknowledge women as prophesiers was a progressive movement for the globe across generation.

11:13-15 A continuation of the metaphor: a person need have covered themselves with compassionate spirituality. Having done that, a student of God becomes a teacher among humanity, guided and protected by Him. Moreover, a person must not celebrate themselves, they actual dishonor themselves by behaving selfishly toward others.

11:16 There is no contention within spirituality. Why? Because students of God have a broadened perspective, capable of analyzing the complexities of situations and people. Students of God understand that progress and accomplishment is made through practiced and consistent serenity rather than anxiety, intolerance and frustration.

11:17-19 Analyze and focus your intention in everything that you do, speak and think and ensure that it is compassionate and progressive. Paul is trying to rearrange the churches of his time because they would be the examples, the ancestors of countless churches to come. Paul explains that among them, there are too many disagreements and selfish motives for the churches to ever function efficiently or authentically. Paul works to rid these churches of division and hypocrisy (something we must do even in our individual lives). Remember Mark 3:25, A house divided cannot stand.

11:20-22 Paul is specifically targeting corrupt religious organizations. The sole purpose and intention of any teacher should be to GIVE not gain from the institution they claim to be a proponent of. To trust that God will feed them when they have devoted themselves to feeding others. With what kind of nourishment? Patience, perspective, compassion, trust, faith, support, laughter, friendship... 

11:23-26 Constantly give. Our purpose here is to create, to give something that had not existed without our intention, our action, our voice, our spirit bringing it into the world. We take care of ourselves when we take care of others. Emulate the example of selflessness, though having self value, in every moment. Indeed God's children have all the value in the universe for their compassionate souls and work among humanity.

11:27-29 Paul condemns the behavior of using religious and spiritual institutions for personal admonishment and gain. Manipulation and condescension are alive in the world and especially in certain places of religious and spiritual study. Across the globe and generation people are corrupting religion to control people and create fear and power.

11:30 Many are spiritually weak. Many are spiritually ill. Many are in a slumber, unaware of spirituality. One main reason why is because people are corrupting it, causing humans to distrust what is actually a compassionate message. Corrupt people have riddled spirituality with their greed and have tainted its actual nature.

The ramifications of weakness, ailment and slumber? Life is difficult. Humans doubt their purpose, and are skeptical of intention behind this life because they do not see order or justice within it. People become vulnerable, cynical, disbelieving.

11:31-32 As a parent, God watches our movements, our decisions, our thoughts. Without His understanding nature, the corrupt actions of some would be irredeemable (we would have no opportunity to fix our mistakes). Yet through Him we learn and grow, are guided if we follow the Light. Creation is not an authoritarian but is instead a loving Father, a patient Guide. Judgement from Him is a blessing because it comes with the compassion to love us despite our mistakes and the patience to lead us out of them.

11:33-34 Paul encourages us to come together to feed each other, to grow from each other in strength, wisdom and compassion. To never arrive at a table (or circumstance) with the intention of bettering solely ourselves. 

NT: First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 10

I Corinthians 10:1-33

10:1 Metaphorically speaking: we are all under a cloud and passing through a sea. The sea is this earth and the way in which we pass through it is our decision. The cloud under which we live is spirituality. Rather than "watch" us, it learns us throughout our lives. Creation works to understand our impact on the earth and on humanity and because of its attentive nature, it knows us and our journey.

10:2-4 Spiritually, we delve into the same ways of thought. The core messages in every religious or spiritual text, the core messages taught through experience and nature are all derived from the same natural source. Yet many are hypocritical: teach, preach and demand standards that they themselves do not uphold in their personal lives or hearts. Paul teaches us to be authentic in our word and in expressing our values. Saying the right things is not equivalent with actually doing them.

10:5 The "cloud" in the first verse of this chapter is creation and creation's intention. We've spoken about creation's intention: compassion, love, life. We must be active proponents of the creation, promotion and defense of compassion, love and life. A small percentage of spiritual is taken into a person, what matters is how much that person puts back out into the world. God, divinity, creation is not pleased when its intention of goodness is thwarted. (And rather than read that as a threat, we should read it as a comfort: our creation will not settle for anything less than love.)

10:6-7 Throughout this sea we are each passing, there are experiences riddled throughout: our own and others's. We learn much from each. Experience is guided learning, given wisdom, if we are observant. The mistakes of others, rather than fodder for cruel judgement, can even be lessons for ourselves. Paul speaks of a great many of people who were hypocritical with their faith (and surely the same hypocrisy exists today).  Simply attending church or memorizing bible verses, holding others up to high standards is not spirituality or faith. Paul speaks of people who, immediately after preaching or praying, would go back into life and neglect, ignore, contradict everything they claimed they stood for.

You cannot define your character with mere words. Your character is defined by how you live and what you life for. One need not know a single verse of scripture to have an authentic, compassionate, spiritual character. One need not sit in a single pew. Who you are is how you live.

10:8 Respect each other. Respect yourself. Your mind and soul and body is a complex series of miracles. You are the most unique and capable technology ever to be built. Humanity is an impossibility that has been made possible. Revel in the wonder and respect life, all life, for all that it is.

10:9 I think there is a common habit among humanity of tempting God. Although it is born perhaps innocently out of our inability to cope with difficulty, we must be able to redefine our world. Rather than view our lives as a series of hurdles and injustices, we must learn to recognize tumultuous periods as spiritual growth spurts... opportunities even!

How do we tempt God? We ask or even demand to see something or to have something from Him. This is particularly ironic because... well, His creation is all around us... has even allowed us to be. We have the ability to be pesky skeptics because He created us and allowed us to be!

God has painted a masterpiece for us. We are a masterpiece of His and yet so many ask: "Where are you? Do, make, show something to me so I can believe in you!" It's like if we did some amazing, lifelong work for someone we loved and they looked right past it and said: "I don't see anything..." or worse, it's like they do not even acknowledge us at all.

Many say: "God if you (do some specific desire)... then I will..." God has already done His work. He is in your life: present and alert and active. Rather than the: "God if you... then I will..." way of thought, live your life with this attitude instead: "God because you (have done so much)... I will...(because I have been taught, inspired, protected and lead)"

You may not notice His impact in yourself and this could be for several reasons:

1. You haven't looked: Even the eye with which you look at the world (a miracle) is a miracle. Notice divinity in nature and all around and within you.
2.  You haven't allowed Him in: your faith is the supply line. The more broad your trust is, the more God feels authorized to provide you with.
3. You've thwarted His work: it is a mutual effort of spiritual and emotional growth. He provides the nourishment but if we do not absorb it, what benefit can it do for us?
4. You've contradicted His work: You must actively uphold the values and intention of creation, life, love and compassion. Your every word, action, temperament, disposition is an impact on humanity. In every moment you must be precise and intentional toward your values.

10:10 I recently read a satirical piece which claimed that most of the world's oxygen was used by people complaining. What progression or productivity is born of complaint? Even worse than worrying is complaining. Problems are solvable by never through complaining: even if complaints result in the desired effect, it has been through the detriment of your character.

Be observant so that you understand all of the facets of your situation. Be articulate so that you are able to accurately, logically communicate your situation not just to others but to yourself. Understand that time is wasted by complaining; work productively on your situation to improve it. Honest and productive work will always result in growth and achievement (usually in more dynamic ways than we even could hope for).

10:11 Do not waste time complaining but also do not waste this opportunity of living alongside others. What one experiences, we are all able to experience, learn and grow from. We are able to see the resulting rewards and consequences of certain behaviors and choices... why relearn lessons which were already taught to us?

10:12 To life give your humility. Creation is our guide, our teacher, our parent and we are forever the sojourners, the students, the children of It. Realize that as a blessing and an opportunity and never let an arrogance thwart all that it has to offer us.

10:13 First and foremost: you are loved. You are not a mistake or a happenstance; creation planned for you, rejoiced in your birth, rejoices in your existence and hopes to forever hold you in its Hand. Your life and the circumstances of it are not a punishment.

That which you encounter and confront during your journey through this sea are opportunities. Creation knows your strength and your ability and allows life to prod and draw your best out of you. Every human knows that challenges arise in life (emotionally, spiritually, professionally, personally...) but here creation promises you that there will always be a tunnel to the light provided for you. Through every challenge there is an opportunity for growth and escape route into a better you and a better life.

Moreover, if you acknowledge it... if you access it and absorb it into your life, strength and courage will always be given to you to bolster you for the growth pains of growth spurts.

10:14-17 Paul speaks to us as the capable students of life that we are: recognize that we, humanity and creation are of the same material and intention. We flow in many directions of culture and thought but are of the same source. Recognize that we are of the rhythm of nature, nature as divinity and creation. We do not need to look any further than our own surroundings to see divinity at work within all life, including our own.

10:18-22 The lesson Paul is teaching is for us not to put our trust or reverence in anything but creation. We are led astray by greed and reverence of material and monetary possessions. What contributes to, has given, and promotes our lives is compassion, love and the creation of the two. If there is a demon it is greed and humanity serves it with its obsession with consumerism, desire for power and fame (values which destroy us). So often greed diminishes the value of life and the value of truth and justice. The desire for power and fame builds a superiority complex through which we lose our ability to perceive humility and spirituality; begin to neglect ourselves and others in order to maintain vapid desires.

Those things do not give us life. In fact, they most often result in the diminished quality and even loss of life.

10:23 We are given freedom to express ourselves, yet we are not absolved for misusing it. We can make our own choices but our  poor choices do not make us, they destroy us. Paul wants us to focus on consistently making the choices which contribute to our edification: our growth and strength and wisdom.

10:24 It has been my experience that prayers and actions spoken and done for others' benefit have been returned personally... tenfold. Magnified exponentially. A truly content and happy spirit understands that contentment and happiness comes from seeing those who we love most content and happy. Our prayers are given not to purchase happiness for ourselves but to ensure happiness for others.

After all, who could sit with a crown in a castle when through the windows those we love are in need? The most productive life lived is the life that is lived for others. The most meaningful and purposeful life is the life that is live for others. So many search for meaning and purpose when those things are abundant around us! We only truly realize that value of ourselves when we see what impact we can have on others. We are more readily able to love and respect ourselves when we see how instrumental we can be to humanity and the earth. Rather than mindless procurers of money, fame and power... we GIVE to the world. We create. We build and inspire things and relationships and emotions which did not or would not have existed without us.

10:25-26 Interpret this verse metaphorically: honest, solid opportunity is available in this world that is God's. This earth and all of humanity are God's, offered to you to shepherd, love and care for. Rather than live on the surface, delve deeply into life and into purpose. If you encounter it (a person, a job, an opportunity, a sea, a talent...) God has given it to you. What will you do with your gifts?

10:27-28 Do not get caught up in meaningless details. All around the world people observe and practice faith differently. Do not let those differences of expression mask a globally-held core belief in love and life. At the same time, never partake of anything fundamentally contradictory to your core held beliefs (just keep in mind that sometimes outward appearances or differences in language mask a mutual effort toward goodness).

10:29 Creation knows your intention behind everything that you do. No matter how you are judged or how you judge yourself, your intentions are known, spiritually. With a compassionate heart and a productive spirit, you can never be led astray.

10:30-31 Life with consistent, good intentions. Promote compassion and life and justice for all people without any prejudice. With humility devote yourself to being a student of life and an instrument of goodness. Doing that, your journey through this sea that is life, under the cloud which is Spirit, will be smooth, happy, productive, honest, authentic, guided and loved.

NT: First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 9

I Corinthians 9:1-27

9:1 Paul delves into the spiritual responsibility of his position as an apostle. Made free through his acceptance and promotion of divine wisdom and compassion, Paul was restrained by no thing or person. The productivity of Paul's life was (and is) evidenced by how incredibly his message abounded, reaching even into and beyond this generation which we currently live.

9:2 To people who have no acknowledgement of focus on spirit, it may appear that Paul is an unfocused vagrant. Yet by those who hear and become established in faith by his message, it is known that Paul's work is the most crucial and influential to be done.

Faith and spirituality often exist only in the periphery of people's minds and lives, descended in rank by the superficial affairs and occurrences of people's day-to-day. Despite that people might not relate to or even understand Paul's passion, the worth of his life is promoting spirituality among humanity. Likewise should we pursue our passion when it is fueled by compassion.

We become distracted; we take detours away from our faith in the false belief that our attention is needed or tempted elsewhere. Yet every joy is absorbed thoroughly through faith and every fear, through faith, is conquered. If Paul were concerned about the opinion of others, he would have become quietly fearful and too discouraged to do the work which changed the world. The challenges of our lives are growth spurts and we allow ourselves the natural evolution of our spirits, the pain of challenge is replaced by a wiser, more agile version of who we are.

Nobody needs to certify you in order for you and your work and influence in the world to be valuable. Paul's apostleship was sealed because of the good work that he had done. God established him, as well as each of us, on this earth with purpose if we choose to accept it. Our own acceptance of our value here on earth is the only certification we need; our creator has loved and provided, enabled us to live and work without permission or validation from others.

9:3 Paul addresses judgement and although his situation is likely quite different from ours, we are all familiar with the road blocks of others' judgement on our actions.

9:4-6 Judgement is surmountable when we ask ourselves the same question: "Don't I have the right...?" For Paul, he defends himself against people who do not believe he is working for a living because they do not understand his work. He defends his right to have a family, a spiritual co-pilot so to speak.

The easiest and simultaneously hardest thing we can do is defend ourselves with our own reason and wisdom. Always be aware of your rights as a human being. If your work is productive and compassionate no condemnation of it can be justifiable.

9:7-10 It is justifiable to support yourself through your work. Paul speaks specifically about apostleship and ministry, paving the way for teachers of God's word in the future to live off of their labor if they so choose.

9:11-14 Paul is speaking to the hypocrites, people who also live off of their own labor but judge Paul for possibly doing the same. Yet Paul did not accept payment for his apostleship so as not to taint the message.

9:15 Like many of God's children, it is Paul's greatest honor to promote God's word freely. It is the joy of his life to share spiritual wisdom.

9:16-18 Paul wants us to understand that he teaches because he is passionate about the truth and comfort of his message rather than because it is a job. It is reward for him to labor spiritually for God without payment because without payment Paul received so much from God. For Paul, spirituality is not a job it is a lifestyle, it is everything.

9:19 Paul devotes his soul and life to humanity in the hope that he reach multitudes of people. Rather than live for himself, Paul found value in living for others. Value in leading people into the light and comfort of divine wisdom.

9:20-23 Paul has selflessly adapted to all cultures and environments so that he could be understood by them. A child of God is adaptable in such a way that through their enhanced perception, they can relate to all people, regardless of diversity. We find kinship with all people, we view the world as best we can from their perspective and we seek to love and understand them in order to give to them our best selves.

9:24 Life advice from Paul: practice and cultivate self-disciple. As purposefully placed components of this earth, it is our blessing to accept that we have work here to do. Paul wishes for us to fully absorb life, to awaken to the thriving miracle and possibility around us. To run, to live life as though it is the most precious thing to ever exist, to ever have... because it is. Life allows for love and when we realize its potential, we should run purposefully toward it always.

9:25 Dedicate yourself to life as you would some tedious competition in the world. Paul wants you to compete for life, for love, for wisdom, for eternity. How do you do so? You live with purpose. With focus. You appreciate the value of every moment and interaction between self, Spirit, person and idea.

9:26 Do not waste your own time. Do not waste opportunity for yourself or others; you have the potential to change lives, awaken to that blessed chance, that purpose given specifically to you. What are you running toward? What is the focus of your life? Choose a focus, create. Be productive. Determination is a salve for the lethargic soul. Awaken to live.

9:27 Paul never stops preparing himself to be better, more focused, more productive. He never settles, he accepts room for infinite self-growth. What is the prize? The prize is life. Strive for it always. Life for yourself, life for others and nature. Paul is never lazy or distracted by contentment, he is always reaching higher, walking further, speaking longer and louder. Be productive in your passion, value the possibilities of your life.

NT: First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 8

I Corinthians 8:1-13

8:1 In this chapter, Paul will discern the difference between faith and religion. Religion is often corrupted by illogical rules, hierarchical authority and superiority. Paul warns us against church officials (and ourselves) when they (we) become arrogant with what knowledge we think we have. For God wishes for us to understand that true wisdom is derived only from love. No matter how book smart or bible-smart a person claims to be or appears to be, if their actions and their soul is not humbled in and by love for others, their knowledge is irrelevant.

8:2 Love and humility are the core of creation and the intention of creation. Therefore, a wise person understands that creation is the Father of all wisdom. Having been created, everything we know, even the ability for us to know things, is inferior to what has created us. From our limited and individual perspectives, we should always work to remember that we do not see broadly or deeply enough to know anything as it truly is. We are smartest when we are aware that there is so much we do not know. We are smartest when we feed and cling to inquiry, curiosity... to our desire to keep learning. We are smartest when we understand and thrive in the realization that we are forever students of life.

8:3 Through our faith and spirituality: through our trust in the universe and our commitment to compassion, we are known. When we are known as inspired participant students of life, the universe conspires with us to embolden our wisdom. Creation learns how to plan our lessons, where to place the jewels of wisdom along our paths for us to discover.

We come to understand that our work of being known by the universe is our greatest wisdom. For once known to it, all knowledge is open and proffered to us. We learn to understand the way in which we are taught: subtly, intricately, boldly, constantly. Our perception is enhanced; we learn to perceive the earth, humanity and situation within each.

Creation, the universe, understands compassion. When we light our compassion, we become to known it it. Through love, we are known. Through the love we project, cultivate, inspire, protect, create, we are known. To be known and counted by the universe is to be known and counted in wisdom. We become proponents of it.

8:4 Paul wants us to understand that reverence of things and places is useless. Therefore, there are a lot of practices within religion which should be obsolete. Statues do not give or contribute to life, compassion, justice or wisdom. Paul does not want us to waste our time unfocused, in awe of mere distractions. Money, statues, ... worshiping any kind of idol is a misdirection of our energy and faith.

8:5-6 For we, humanity, this earth and all creation was created divinely. Humans often and readily become confused, metaphorically worshiping rain rather than the cloud that gave it. And yet, who created the cloud? Who created the conditions which created the cloud? The circumstances which allow the conditions of cloud creation? Paul encourages us to remove distractions and complexity from our faith: direct your love and faith to that which has given you the ability to love and be faithful, to dance and sing and laugh and breathe and smile.

8:7-8 The journey of spirituality and wisdom is a beautiful yet laborious one. Our wisdom grows in depth and agility, begins small and vulnerable. We are all in different places on the spectrum of faith, none superior or inferior to the others. Our faith and understanding grows, Paul wishes for us to perceive that sometimes, the rigid cultural or religious customs we are taught do not contribute to our spiritual growth or productivity.

For example, the bible recommends that we do not eat pork. Eating pork is not a sin. A person who eats pork is not automatically disqualified or lowered in faith than a non-pork eater. The suggestion of abstaining from pork was given as a health guideline. We must be careful not to judge and punish people for minute details which cloud the common sense of a situation. Eating or not eating something is not going to make or break your chance to be with God. What matters is your character, how you express yourself, how you interact with others and animals and the environment. That is wisdom: the creation, cultivation and (re)establishment of your character in compassion, purpose and faith.

8:9-10 We must be respectful of the fact that what works for us does not necessarily work for another person. We must not condemn others from being different from us. We cannot force our faith on others because if say, eating strawberries helps to connect them to their faith, why corrupt that? God reaches people in many diverse ways. Let people grow in their faith, individually. Their faith is budding, growing, not and therefore is not wrong.

8:11-13 God, the universe, creation loves all of His, Its children. It has decided that each of us are worthy of its life. Respect differences, there are many ways to express faith. For yourself, know where to direct your faith, but do not stunt or insult others from directing theirs in alternate places. Do not stifle difference, you never know where it might be leading to.

Paul gives us an equation in the first verse of this chapter: LOVE = EDIFICATION. Very simply, he teaches us that through loving ourselves, through loving our lives, life, others, others' lives, the earth, through loving nature and faith... we grow perfectly, consistently, naturally in wisdom and strength. So if you are ever looking for a place to begin: begin with love.

NT: First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 7

I Corinthians 7:1-40

7:1 In this chapter, Paul is going to speak to us about relationships. Paul is an apostle, his complete focus is on spreading, inspiring and upholding the word and intention of God. Paul wishes for us to be as focused, as devoted, and as selfless as the world and humanity often need us to be. However, Paul also realizes that it is unrealistic to expect us to refrain from creating relationships with each other and because of that, he has some advice for us.

Note also that in Paul's time, it would be nearly impossible for a travelling apostle to have a relationship and a family; the nature of their work keeps them away and constantly travelling, it is time-consuming and it is dangerous as well.

7:2 The institution of marriage becomes a subject he wishes to cover. Remember that Paul's perspective is made up of the principles God wishes for us to implement in our lives: truth, sincerity, unity, patience, compassion. Therefore Paul encourages those of us entering relationships to be able to use those words to describe how we love each other.

Paul's advice is for us to cultivate our relationship with another person, to respect the union. Why? Because Paul was taught by God's love, love the center of all things, and he therefore takes relationships between people seriously. Once we choose a person, we should be compassionately choose them every day. Having been chosen, they are ours, uniquely. Our blessing, our responsibility.

7:3 Marriage is an institution of affection rendered by respect and joy at the person's existence, at the privilege of having them under our wing.

7:4 Paul wants us to understand the solidity and gravity of marriage: we share ourselves with another person; our souls intermingle and become responsible for each other.

7:5 Marriage is understood to be the gift of body and soul between two people. Paul's advice is to meditate on that fact. Rather than remain separate because of a religious rule or cultural taboo, Paul advises us to reflect on our relationship before we truly and physically give ourselves to each other. Why? To give us the space and perspective to fully accept the privilege but also responsibility of loving and having another. He wishes for us to have the time and clarity to love that person's soul: how they express themselves, the sound of their laugh, their sense of humor, their weaknesses... he wants us to love their soul before and more than their body. United souls are the core of marriage.

7:6 Paul's advice is a suggestion, a recommendation given in the hope and effort to help us cultivate and keep our love. Here is an example of the common sense wisdom within this book. Guidelines and recommendations are not given by God because He's an authoritarian but because He's a father and wants to light our way. He wants us to avoid bad and broken relationships. He gives us advice, through Paul on how to ensure we have entered a relationship we wish to be committed to before we commit to it.

If the body were not a component to a relationship, God wants us to be with someone who would still light our world up. True love is spiritual, it has little and even nothing to do with tangibility. It's inexplicable, indescribable, uncountable, infinite. When we find someone who can nourish our souls, they become deserving of our bodies. We can trust them. They can trust us.

7:7 Paul's wish is for everyone to be an apostle; focused entirely on articulating the word of God... yet he understands that God has many diverse paths and plans for His children. Paul's purpose as an apostle is not more or less important than perhaps a mother's relationship to her child, or a husband to a wife, or a teacher to a student. Meaning that even though Paul was not personally interested in marriage did not mean that it was something God was against.

7:8-9 Essentially, follow your soul. If you believe in marriage, devote yourself passionately to it. If you believe in apostleship, devote yourself to that. No matter which path in life you choose, ensure that it is natural to you, compassionate, purposeful. Do not live contrary to your truth because you will fail.

7:10-11 These verses are not angry commands. Paul is encouraging husband and wife in every marriage to remain with each other, to always support and love one another. He does not want the husband to abandon the wife or the wife to abandon the husband because it causes pain. Once a commitment is established, he wishes for us to nourish it. To never abandon it.

Divorce is not a sin, it is a pain. God does not want His children to be in pain. Moreover, He wants us to respect and love each other enough to never abandon a relationship we voluntarily entered. To be mutually compassionate and communicative through turbulence.

7:12-14 Here is advice specific to Paul's opinion: to love each other for who the person is. Faith around the world and between people varies. As living testimonies, how we live is an example to humanity of the values we believe it should uphold. If we enter a relationship with a person, who we are should become a part of their perspective of the world. Therefore, despite differences, two people in a relationship can influence each other. We can grow from each other: both from each other's weaknesses and strengths. And as their family grows, two parents focused on each other and spiritual growth is healthy and productive for their children.

7:15 Unfortunately, humans are not always mutually focused on maintaining unification. Even if one person is devoted, the other may not be... we are not to feel guilt or shame because of another person. Be peaceful. Be focused on spiritual growth and be subsequently able to rebound from the consequences of others who are not.

7:16 We are influential whether we realize it or not. If we are focused, purposeful, intently compassionate, we impact the lives of those around us. We may not notice the subtle changes in the people and environment around us, but who we are matters to what and who is around us. We are often oblivious to our impact on the world but it is there and it is prominent.

7:17 "But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk...

God is not oblivious to our individual impacts on the world. We are given the gifts and the environments, the opportunities and the people, the talents and shortcomings to do the most good when we become purposeful. Whether we unite or contradict each other, we are in each other's lives for a reason. Let each of God's children walk their specific path but more, let each child awaken to the path they are walking. For there is guidance and comfort within the cobblestones.

Within a marriage or any relationship, the hope between two people should be the constant solidification of their union, but even when it is not, God wants us to accept our paths as well as theirs (even if they diverge). To grow and consistently rebound against challenge.

7:18-19 Paul stresses this very important fact which is so often forgotten: guidelines are not given out of desire for control or implementation of punishment. Guidelines are given for our benefit.

The example in this verse: circumcision was a health and sanitary guideline. Not a random, senseless, punishable rule.

God's guidelines are the training wheels which keep us from scraping ourselves up before we learn to ride. He helps us to live smartly; He gives us the defense of His wisdom against vulnerability, ignorance, naivete. Much of life is new to us, we learn through experience but before we have experience, we can trust Him to lead us, to teach us what we do not yet see.

Do not get so caught up in rules and cultural norms that you miss the common sense within yourself, your environment, the situation. God guides, He does not punish. When we ignore His guidance, we ignore His wisdom and we consequently suffer because we chose the difficult way.

7:20 Be purposeful. You are here for a reason, equipped with a purpose. When you become focused, you will be able to remain on the carefully laid path God has given you. Remain on it, it is where you are meant to be. It is where you are safe. It is where you will achieve.

7:21 Our journey to and with God and spirituality is special and unique. No matter who or what you were before you confronted your spirituality is irrelevant to the love God has for you. Perhaps you were a slave to your own selfishness or greed, maybe you were a slave to some other desire or corruption, but through your relationship with God, you escaped those chains. If God has made you free, has loosed your body, soul and mind from confusion, depression, apathy, use your new freedom! If he gave you clarity and strength use it purposefully, push it and yourself forward.

7:22 God rescues us from ourselves, from weakness or even darkness in our own minds and bodies and lives and we become free children. Spiritually independent, invulnerable to what we were victims to before. And quite beautifully, we become His. His instruments, the vessels through which He delivers love and compassion and patience and goodness to humanity.

7:23-24 God has arranged this earth as an elaborate school for us. The cost of our freedom was for Him to release us from His home. Here on earth we are vulnerable but He gave us this opportunity because He wanted us to have free will. On our own volition, we can seek and find Him and cuddle back up on His love and protection. Yet on another's own volition, they can choose not to... which creates suffering in the world. God wants us to utilize this earth, this schooling, so that the price He paid was not for nothing. Grow in spirituality, choose Him, become instrumental among humanity. The price He paid was to let us go for a time, we were safe but we had not personally chosen Him... He wanted us to be able to choose.

7:25-28 Despite Paul's personal recommendation of remaining celibate as a focused apostle, marriage is not wrong or advised against. If we choose marriage, we should understand that our choice is for life. If we choose not to marry, we should similarly remained focused on whatever other passion we have. Choose and be focused, purposeful.

7:29-31 Paul begins to give us some perspective. Although marriage becomes the core, or a core of our personal lives, we have work to do still in broader scopes. The globe and humanity are existing around us, changing and unfolding in diverse ways. Progressing and regressing. Our responsibility in the world extends beyond ourselves and our personal, nuclear lives.

Our purpose here is intricate. Minute as well as grand. We are meant to uphold justice on all scales, in our family, in our community, in our town and city, in our region, in our nation, in our globe. A marriage should strengthen, inspire and further enable a person to be able to do their life's work while here.

7:32-35 As an unmarried apostle, Paul's entire focus is on spirituality. Paul does not want us to forget about our spiritual work outside of our marriage. For two united people can and should work together to use their union to stand taller, stronger, more efficiently, and more able to influence the world and humanity around them.

Do not be selfish. Two people should not be selfish with each other, either. Recognize the strengths within your partner and become a pillar and propeller. Recognize that that person you have chosen has been given a purpose by God, has been given gifts by God to influence not only your life with them but also the life around them. Think broadly! Have perspective, look intently and compassionately out into the world. Love deeply within, but project it. Always. Beyond self. Beyond, always beyond, further, to as many people as you can.

7:36-38 These verses reveal the complications of the time Paul lived. A travelling apostle did not have the time or the means to support both a family and a lifestyle of apostleship. This is not longer the case. Paul is encouraging the then-apostles to choose marriage or apostleship and it letting them know it is okay to choose. Paul personally believes that an unmarried woman is capable of much achievement and therefore is happy when she chooses not to marry. We know that both women and men are capable of much, married or unmarried as long as they are focused with God on compassion and purpose.

7:39-40 Finally, Paul's advice speaks of the context of his time. Women were bound to their husbands, socially and financially. Paul wanted to give freedom to women who had lost their husbands. He wanted women to respected for their choice either to remarry or to remain single, to not be gossiped about for going against what outsiders believed she should do.

This is pertinent to us in that we should allow people to make their own decision without the vexing prod of our judgement. A person's life is their own business and God's business.