The Candle of God's Liberating Love

 

Throughout the pages of scripture, love is like a thread woven into the quilt of the thin pages and through the words we read.  Paul talks about faith, hope, and love abiding…and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13); on the last night of Jesus’ life he said, “this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12); Jesus called us to love our enemies in the gospels, which stretches us beyond our own abilities or even desire to live that way.  We lit the candle of God’s liberating love yesterday to illuminate our way to Bethlehem where we encounter and experience God’s love in the flesh and form of a vulnerably baby laid in a manger.  This sacred space preaches a gospel that the world doesn’t comprehend and cannot control, so we often turn from the truth of Christmas to ones of consumerism, rating/ranking, posturing, posting endlessly to social media, power, and politics. 

 

I invite you to light a candle now.  As you gaze at the flickering flame you could extinguish at any time ask yourself:

 

When did you feel most fully loved last week?  Last month?  Last year?

Who shared unconditional love with you?

Where do you feel the warmth of love in others and for others? 

Or are you struggling, especially with that person who is always pushing the nuclear codes of your emotional wellbeing?

 

One more question for you to carry in your heart, mind, and life today ~ how do you define and distinguish love?  What words or actions or experiences/encounters help you describe how love looks/sounds/tastes/feels?  I pray the candle of love will burn brightly within and around you every day this week.  With God’s embodied and emphatic and enthusiastic love to you!  Amen.