May your love grow in discernment

For a Church that is supposed to be united, there seem to be an awful lot of divisions, don't there? Aside from many heretics, we have a diverse array of denominations, and Christians individually hold a range of weird and wonderful opinions.

There are many reasons for this unfortunate discrepancy, but for the sincere Christian, there is a fairly strong solution. When we study the word of God with an honest heart, placing God above ourselves and our contemporaries, the truth will eventually come to light.

What's interesting about today's verse is that Paul isn't just saying "study and you will know". Rather, he says "I pray that your love will grow in knowledge". Our culture has long since departed from this truth. We live in an age where "you're wrong" and "I hate you with every fibre of my being" are seen as being synonymous. "Don't judge me, you hateful bigot!" "Participate in my sin, you privileged scum!" But to Paul, knowledge and discernment are closely tied to love. Both the love of God and the love of others depend on knowledge and discernment. Therefore, may Paul's prayer echo throughout the ages, right to the modern day, and if the Lord tarries, may it continue still: May your love grow in knowledge, and in every kind of discernment.