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In this famous passage of I Corinthians 13(the one often read at weddings) the first mention of what Love is, makes the point that it suffers long. Some translations start by saying Love is Patient, Love is Kind, the actual literal Greek translation is Love suffers long. Does suffering bring us closer to God? Why is it that the most loving Christians I have known were also ones that had suffered much in this life. Could they actually have gotten closer to God’s divine nature through their own suffering? Were they able to relate more to His suffering that He experienced and still experiences because of ours and mankind’s sins? Sometimes I find myself wondering why He has put up with my sins and mankinds history of wickedness. He then reminds me that He loves me and He is willing to suffer long, until we come to Him with a repentant heart filled with true Love that can only come from God.