The bellflower (or Campanula if you prefer) is an enamoring border or rock garden plant that offers an intriguing number of forms and shapes. The deep-purple flower shown on the opposite page is the 'Sarastro' bellflower, a recent hybrid that appears to softly ring a delicate tone of loving affection. Each bellflower seems to have its own melodious ring.

In the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, the Boston Symphony conducts their summer evening concerts on the lawn at Tanglewood. The dew begins to fall as the concert begins – soon, the sun has set leaving just the lighting from the orchestra and walkway areas.

One by one, children fall asleep on their blankets or in their mother’s arms as the concert proceeds to their final piece by Tchaikovsky. Softly the orchestra plays as if in a dream of angels on wings – everything is peaceful and harmonious, absolutely lovely. The ambiance is unforgettable.

Suddenly, a cannon shoots a bloodthirsty boom from the center of the audience, the concluding portion of the 1812 Overture. Children are crying and everyone is in shock – the peace is gone. Cannons don’t belong in the orchestra.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance … Love will last forever! (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

The bellflower, with graceful blossoms that arch over one another in humility, is a simple example of how patient, kind, continuous, hopeful, and enduring our love should be. In a non-assuming way, they seem to gently ring their melody in unison – a song that is not noisy or like a clanging cymbal: "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Lack of love disrupts; the presence of deep and profound love unifies and brings us closer to our Lord who is ready to send whatever physical or spiritual blessings He may have for us.

This section of the Scriptures concludes with this:

Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love. Let love be your highest goal! (1 Corinthians 13:13;14:1).

These verses emphasize the importance of love being manifested throughout our lives. Whatever our regrets in life, our Lord is looking at how we love today, not dwelling on the irritable things we may have done in the past. God is looking for changed hearts – hearts that truly love.

The softly ringing bellflower seems to understand that love is its highest goal.