An addition to the BHT, a discourse by Paul about the supernal meaning and nature of Love, and how it surpasses all other things in this world.

1 I could speak many mighty and wonderful words, in all human languages and even in heavenly verse, but if I don’t have Love, I am merely making noises and producing meaningless clatter.

2 I could be a great prophet, and understand the depths of all Divine Mysteries and even have the direct knowledge of God, with the confidence and willpower to move entire mountains, but if I don’t have Love, I am nothing and no one, a nobody.

3 I could donate or give all that I have, every penny and possession, to feed the hungry and care for those in poverty, and even give over my own body as an offering, but if I don’t have Love, it does no good.

4 Love endures hardships with patience and equanimity, and through it all remains benevolent and kind. Love is not envious or jealous, pursuing others’ accomplishments or possessions. Love does not talk in self-congratulatory ways of its own accomplishments or possessions either, and so is not haughty or arrogant.

5 Love is not indecent, obscene, or vulgar. It does not seek things for itself, or to have its own egoic way. It doesn’t get angry easily. It doesn’t think about destructive, depraved, or injurious things.

6 Love is not pleased with injustices, but rather it finds joy in truth and right for all.

7 Love suffers all, trusts all, waits for all, and bears all things bravely and calmly.

8 Love never falls away or is lost. Even though there are wonderful spiritual prophecies, they are all ultimately fallible and so they will fail. Although there are many great words and eloquent rhetoric, it will all eventually be silenced. And although there is great human knowledge and science in the world, it will all eventually be superseded and replaced.

9 Because right now we only have a partial and incomplete relative knowledge, like shadows on the cave wall, and we only prophecy in imperfect and symbolic metaphors.

10 But when the Absolute is revealed, then that which is only relative and symbolic comes to an end. It is all done and fulfilled.

11 When I was young and immature, I spoke as one that was young, I thought like one that was immature, and I reasoned like one who was unskilled and inexperienced. But when I grew up and matured, I had to let go of those immature ways.

12 The way we see things now is like looking in a foggy mirror, which obscures our vision. But eventually we’ll see with pure clarity in that mirror, face to face. Right now we only know and perceive things in imperfect, relative, and symbolic ways. But one day we will experientially know and recognize the complete Truth just as perfectly we know our Self.

13 There are only three things that will remain: trusting, waiting patiently, and loving. And the most important of all of these is Love.