Daily Devotion

“Holy learning is not for debate, but for practice. If one merely talks about reverence for Heaven without actually loving others, then the piety of one's followers is like a tree without roots or water without a source, destined to wither and die.”

Joachim Bouvet · Letters from Joachim Bouvet to Leibniz

Scripture

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Reflection

This passage is like a clear mirror, pointing directly to our hearts. We often pursue gifts, knowledge, and worldly achievements, even yearning for the power to "move mountains" in our ministry. But Paul reminds us that without love, even the greatest achievements are merely jarring noise, "meaning nothing" in eternity. Joachim Bouvet also said that empty words of reverence for God without the substance of love for others make faith a tree without roots. Reflecting on the present, are my words, actions, and plans driven by self-justification or by divine love?