But the greatest of these is love

Tuesday's Olympic games brought us an emotional display of love, as Canada's Joannie Rochette skated her short program just two days after her mother's unexpected death. Therese Rochette was just 55 years old. I do not know of Joannie's faith, or of her hope, but I can tell something of her love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." Often read at weddings, we associate this verse with romantic love. But the one, true love is God Himself. He alone is perfectly patient and kind. He alone keeps no record of wrongs for the believer in Jesus Christ. He is the source of all love that humans share, even humans who do not know Him.

Joannie's display of love may go down in history as a great symbol of courage. The root word of courage means heart, the seat of our emotions and our will. It was from this place that Joannie skated her dance of love for her mother. God gave her this love, this courage - a supernatural strength in her innermost being.

I pray that in the coming days she will receive deep compassion and comfort from God's people, so that she will experience His great love for her.