Love’s greatest gift
The countdown to Christmas is on.
How many shopping days? How many sleeps? How many parties? How many traditions to keep?
Will we have time to fit it all in? What will we remember most? What will we long to forget? What will simply be lost in the seasonal blur?
It’s hard to believe Advent begins this Sunday. We are reminded of the journey through hope to peace to joy to love as we reconfirm the greatest gift is love.
We light candles, sing carols, hear familiar stories come alive. Children’s dramas capture the highlights. We long to believe. We pray the mystery is true.
We read the Gospel accounts from Matthew and Luke of heavenly messengers sent to Joseph and Mary. Each would hear of the wondrous possibility of them being vessels of God’s grace. A child would be born who would be Emmanuel! Yes, God with us.
They, like us, asked the “but how” questions? They queried “why me” and “why now”?
The sheer awesomeness of this story, these revelations, the cosmic implications is beyond comprehension – God so loving the world that His child would be sent into the world to change the course of human history.
We would hear this Babe of Bethlehem teach those who would follow him to love one another as he loved them. He had learned love from his heavenly father. “As the Father has love me so have, I loved you. Remain in my love.”
Others would come to affirm that God is love, the essence, the source, the completeness of love.
How then have we arrived at the celebration of the incarnation of the one who frees our immortal spirits finding ourselves lost in the jingle bell jungle?
When did decking the halls and malls become the essential preparations for welcoming the Lord of life? Where is the child in the manger to be found in our rushing about searching aimlessly to find the perfect gift?
I love the music of Christmas. I have sung “Joy to the World” in July as I sought to reclaim the prize, which is offered each Christmas, every day. I have been discouraged when asking folk their favourite carol to hear “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” near the top the charts.
Where are the nativity songs, where is the gift of love proclaimed?
In an effort to put the Nativity back in Christmas, to include the Incarnation mystery in songs of the season, I found myself writing these words:
“Jesus, our loving Saviour, Came down from heaven above.
Filing the world with beauty Covering it with love.
“Mary and dear Joseph Heard the angels say They would give birth to Jesus,
A child of the Holy Way.
On the first Christmas Eve, Jesus Christ was born.
In a lowly manger Hope and peace adorned.
Then how the angels praised him
Shepherds and wise ones came
Offering their live to Jesus Singing glory to his name.” Simply hum “Rudolph” as you sing this simple affirmation.
Likewise, “Winter Wonderland” has emerged as: “Jesus is our Saviour Came to offer God’s favour A beautiful sight
A glorious night
God being born in the world…”
The song declares Jesus’ birth is God offering love to the world. Surely this is the Gospel.
May your Advent waiting be filled with hopeful sharing of the profound truth of love’s greatest gift being born in the world and reborn in you each day.