1 Corinthians 13 (NLT)
13 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

Corinthians 13, read at many weddings because it speaks about love – what love should look like, the importance of love, the power of love. Love is the greatest neutralizer of hate.

I love the intensity and toughness of love – it never gives up, it is always faithful, it always sees the glass as being completely full (yes, it’s full of something, even if it’s air), it endures hardship and plenty.

We often say that at our weddings. I think I’ve used it all three times. Hmmm, that don’t seem right now, does it? It’s taken me a bit to understand just how big love is, how powerful it is, how God centered it is. What love requires from us. How countercultural love is in reality if not in theory. How counter self love is.

As I’ve come to understand how great Christ’s love for us is, I am beginning to see how big love is and the sacrifices of self that love commands.

Romans 12:9 New Living Translation (NLT)
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

Love is not just for our friends and family like some cell phone plan. Love is for everyone and everything. Hate injustice and do something about it out of love, not hate. Hate hate and do something about it out of love, not hate. Revolutionize the approach to problems, not being boastful, jealous, proud or rude, but humbly serve others to deal with injustice of all kinds. Talk about revolutionary. Talk about countercultural.

True love modeled after Christ is the countercultural revolution we need. True love is the revolution we need if we’re really going to right injustice of all forms.