%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20241222153629+00'00') /ModDate (D:20241222153629+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1857 >> stream xXˎ+2l>DJf8 N"ȢDŚ&Y4j1|jνE0e$ђ(Ns\Qt:z,b|C/=~dR?45c?^o_?-h%qzɒU(nnA?~U g&tGq~DI$QQĿ1Q/B~Ҝweu|q7>nw\5.2= yz0s(SUN5vHit_{{/R7W(?$,;яvljlIЛ49)35Kj,H)l훎oВS[G&&u;^GuƵNq3Lʐ'R#~Ԩv&tFd{-t杼'2N{ҭ!u?6c&:ꙴI9W? vNW!:v G]-q Fl5Awp7ͶM2or a8F h];!F)yslLB1*frMm4z:SD/\I$X|^8G} ɔuR8x 71 YB 3 gK TYar_$Ԭ6cwdJNswz]z,֗KFe-EJOZ д9`i͙_ue@7*Mk F!6g#>:Ǎs'qp$ fEj9!.*ZoCL{+:6s5|Zggk4YrGU>:I*D&Գ rgyFq;oL){@(//s\Mm\Kov,:/Z#m& LxRaflhlYFi]y f+IQ& uM_'!FȉdL=8N}hk|e> LmrS; 臃\*3,=Trç ȳǎB(ʛMF\iZãX_7)|-rծs-a!48eH }v'/=mvui4ڣnۇFXP7'g09QeT,o<%Y1ܤv'篬kK asCT}H68rq 7V8L^1ocQ>GtBwZ++,[;:J"y?Oֶ.*Ep@Toi% w 2_m3QZ_Za3od~r3}$ȣmp}OȀ@jF :.3I3QneT{"2aԣ֕퐈F >5%?wSQ#{aj&.#1gU]T'w-ϭt:/|'>| [)ѾS=iBkNqO|o0;uϏ)) G> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1160 >> stream xVr6+0IKԉ3&k&NI@%@1ʽ?UEz2)x.RQ@ ՛)m_s&"I:m.^-iZ/4lNˊSJ3rMOwoצ">#oS؊ktxZ"VmO5ֶVG5?AwI(D${J 1Zuki衱;HF۝ީo+V_kw'GW뭈a)b1#X~bw$;թ۱FwN5;-yMi@9ײ~wS*r1Ͳ*϶zNh|3:=jtu\##B$:UiD6!s43/-i@vmCV#(;+E쭗 0e"NȻFUYwOX jXh\WJ2k m,<5-cnBбN+5q7˕mu=1}ߎ<! a"h ,ɚ8\)f7KN6-;]zA$Ey4+Xt iH6ܻOX&ө | vd%qP6V)f,Ocfy⬨L$<쬦k.)[y&~S# ]CkfF %Y{P`5 endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000002680 00000 n 0000002787 00000 n 0000002895 00000 n 0000003005 00000 n 0000003118 00000 n 0000003234 00000 n 0000003263 00000 n 0000003373 00000 n 0000008948 00000 n 0000010079 00000 n 0000010138 00000 n 0000010197 00000 n 0000010302 00000 n 0000011536 00000 n 0000011593 00000 n 0000011650 00000 n 0000017225 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 18356 %%EOF On the Corner | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

On the Corner

April 30, 1997
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

by Robert Docter – 

Faith, hope and love. Paul said the greatest of these is love. I think they are inseparable.

Can one love without faith? Isn’t it something else when what we think of as “love” is expressed without faith? Wouldn’t we call it something like infatuation or obsession or just a plain downright crush? If one truly loves, it seems to me that faith must be present. Faith says loyalty–fidelity–trust–consistency over time. Aren’t these essential elements of love?

Is it possible to have faith without love? Faith, it seems to me, involves the development of a very strong belief system built around ideas which have been personified in some way. They have been articulated and identified with some sense of spirit which someone has come to accept as true. As one develops the firm belief that is faith, one begins to love the object of the faith. For example: Does a former U.S. Marine ever say “Semper fi” to another marine without sending a message of love for the Corps? While we might fear the awesome power of God in whose existence we have faith, we also sense his magnificent grace and develop a bond of deep love for him.

And what of hope? Hope involves belief, fidelity, consistency, trust. It also has about it an expectation that the matter hoped for will occur. This expectancy is believed. There is a sense of faith that the hope will be fulfilled. We do not hope for negative ends. Our hope is directed at the positive. We love what we want fulfilled.

Some hope they will win the lottery. It’s evident what they love. Some hope for the success of their children. Some express that hope as a selfless desire for the spiritual well-being, the physical health, the emotional stability, and the social achievement of their offspring.

For some, the expression of hope for their children is actually an expression of self-centeredness. They want whatever success means in order to glorify themselves. Their children simply are tools to manipulate so that the parents will receive some kind of recognition. Even when the children have reached an appropriate age, the self-centered parent is unwilling to trust the children with freedom. Is this love for the child, or is it love for self? The same kind of pattern exists in some marriages. Some even relate to God in the same self-centered way. What God hopes for is a broken and contrite heart, but humankind often tends to relate to God with a kind of “what have you done for me lately?” attitude. Some word other than “love” needs to be used to describe this kind of a relationship.

None of us are free of hope for ourselves. This is not wrong. It is essential. Loving one’s self is not a sin. Worshipping one’s self is the sin. What we think of when we use the word “hope” is an essential ingredient in the human condition. Hopelessness is to despair to the point of faithlessness and is a total denial that one is lovable. This doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. Life’s journey involves moving through a long series of points on the coping-collapse continuum. Hope moves us forward on the journey.

In the 71st Psalm David wrote: But as for me, I will always have hope…He made clear the source of his hope. For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.

Hope is spiritual. Faith is spiritual. Love is spiritual. While I see them as inseparable, we need, I suppose, to have separate words to discriminate subtle differences in the context of our communication. Also, a word like faithhopelove is a little awkward.

So, why did Paul say love was the greatest?

It is in the expression of genuine love that all three merge into one. So realize, when you say I love you, you are expressing faith and hope as well.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like