the pride chapter (1 cor 13 remixed)

A little over a week ago we were discussing the issue of pride in our Wednesday night men’s group. The individual leading the discussion was talking about the ways in which pride and love are almost complete opposites. As he was talking it occurred to me that I might do myself a favor and write an inverted, converse version of 1 Cor 13. I found the exercise to be powerful and spiritually rewarding, and I have intended to post it here since. So, here it is:

If I Speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have pride, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have pride, I am nothing.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have pride, it profits me nothing.

Pride is impatient, pride is cruel, and it is jealous; pride brags about itself and is arrogant, acts unbecomingly; it seeks its own, is easily provoked, remembers all the wrongs ever done to it, rejoices in unrighteousness, but does not rejoice with the truth;

bears nothing, believes nothing, hopes nothing, endures nothing. Pride always fails;

and if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, thought as a child, reasoned as a child; I would have become a man, but I did not put away my childish things.

Now we only see part of our pride through hazy lenses, but one day we will see it face to face; now I understand my pride in part, but then I will know it fully just as it is fully known to God.

Now doubt, fear, and pride seem to never go away; but the worst of these is pride.