The purpose of this poem is to allow the reader to contemplate the substitution and to decide whether it works.
A short “poem” based on the idea of replacing “love” with “profit” in St Paul’s famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13, and often read at weddings. The word “charity” would appear instead of “love” if the old King James Version of the Bible were used instead.
An inference might be drawn that love is better than profit.
The poem encourages a comparison between profit and love.
Profit
Profit is patient,
profit is kind and is not jealous;
profit does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly;
it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Profit never fails[1].
Hmm, perhaps this poem isn’t quite working.
Note
Based on 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 (New American Standard Version of the Bible), with apologies to St Paul. Scripture adapted from the New American Standard Bible © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, Used by permission (www.Lockman.org).
