Without love, then all is a clashing of bronze symbols.
But of course Paul did not use the English word “love”.
“Agape”, yes, of course Paul used that, to distinguish from Eros or Brotherly love, philios.
Today I thought, let’s run with the “charity” option on the translation. And let me say “generosity”. Do I treat those around me with generosity? Ah, do you mean inner or outwardly? Outwardly I have decent manners. I have even been trained in generosity. These are good.
But what about inner generosity? Usually I think that other people are idiots, or a pain, or in my way. Hmmm. This is not very generous.
Very striking when Paul says that without inner generosity "I am nothing” and “I am profited nothing”. He is not talking about what God wants. He is not talking about what Paul wants for us. Paul is talking about what profits the person - you and me. This is not about giving poor people money. This is about my inner stance for every interaction, and probably for every person I think about. I will gain nothing unless I am inwardly generous. More strongly, “I am nothing” without this inner generosity.
Oh, Paul, that is too hard. How can you say that I am nothing?
Hmmm.
We live in an idiocracy, yes, but Paul's point might have been to realise that we are all manifest from the same life-giving Source. Sufism and Hinduism - and even Alan Watts... so the Tao as well - made that clear. It doesn't mean one desires to live surrounded by idiots, but to that end, ain't it grand the Hermetic overseers of humanity have it all in hand.