Love comes down and shines within us. Love rushes down and lives within us. Love pours down and flows out of us.
We often hear the statement that we are to love it or leave it. This is an expression frequently used to talk about a particular activity or tangible thing. This phrase although somewhat crass and insensitive has something important to convey about the act of loving.
To love is to give oneself totally to another person, activity, or object of affection. To be "all in" so to speak. To engage completely. To dive in hook, line, and sinker.
If you can’t be positive, affirming, and supportive of the effort, person, or possession then let it go. Then don’t work against, or control, or attempt to change it. Just let it go.
This understanding is hugely valuable in a host of contexts. If you can’t support the way things occur in your life, then find things that you can embrace, promote, and relish.
It is so much better to build up, adopt, and encourage things in life you feel strongly about than to tear down, fight against, or oppose something you don’t believe in.
This season of Advent is a season of sharing with those around us that we care about them and value them. It is a season to show appreciation and commitment to relationships, people, and activities which are meaningful.
We hasten to the manger scene. We journey to the birth of a child. A child born for us, given for us, provided for us: a child that shows us a new way of life. A life of love and grace.
I know someone who is all about fighting perceived evil and beliefs that are contrary to the way they see things. I feel this is such a waste of time and energy. What is beneficial and productive is to build up what you do care about. To help grow what you do believe in. To help nurture what you do believe is important and significant.
This is the gift of love at Christmas. God gave to us a totally new way of being in the world. A way of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
This is what is so wonderful about advent. We can watch for this. We can wait for this. We can prepare our hearts and lives for this.
This is realized in the coming of the Christ Child. The coming of Emmanuel.
For it is prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.”
This was the promise to the chosen people. This is the promise fulfilled for the world in Matthew 1:22-23
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and you shall call his name Emmanuel (which means, God with us).’”
We know that in this event love came down and glory shown around.
This is wonderfully shared and an amazingly inspired message of Christmas as is found in the hymn:
Love came down at Christmas
Author: Christina Georgina Rossetti (1885)
Published in 61 hymnals>
1 Love came down at Christmas,
love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
star and angels gave the sign.
2 Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, Love divine;
worship we our Jesus,
but wherewith for sacred sign?
3 Love shall be our token;
love be yours and love be mine;
love to God and others,
love for plea and gift and sign.
May this love live in us! May this love run deep in us! May this love overflow out of us! Now and always. Amen
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