Advent: choose love...

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

 

The fourth candle is the light of love. Jesus coming to earth, as a baby in a manger and the Saviour of the world, is God’s greatest gift of love to us. This is God’s redeeming love, which brings forgiveness, restoration and reconciliation. What a gift! A gift that lasts forever. The utter magnitude of His love for me is unfathomable and beyond amazing. 

 

LOVE.

 

Love is more than a feeling. Love requires action. Love requires taking risks. To love is not always easy. It involves a choice and it is often a choice we need to make over and over again. Let’s face it: some people are easy to love, others not so much. Yet Jesus asks us to love everyone! 

 

“Jesus replied:‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:33-39) Jesus teaches us to love God with our whole being. He also teaches us to love each other. Family. Friends. Neighbours. Enemies. Strangers. The hungry. The prisoners. The thirsty. To love our neighbours as ourselves. 

 

What does love look like? One of my favourite passages on love is found in 1 Corinthians. We are given such a beautiful image of what love should look like. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

 

What an incredible picture of love. Who doesn’t want to be loved like that? God’s love for us IS that perfect! And although our love for others will never be this perfect, we can ask God to help us love others, aspiring this wholesome love. 

 

How can we show love to others? Jesus shares what love as an act of service looks like in Matthew 25. Feed the hungry. Provide shelter to the homeless. Give those who are thirsty a drink. Clothe the naked. Visit the prisoners. Meet with the sick. There are many ways we can show love to those around us. Love in action. However, this passage is one that has continuously challenged me. We are commanded, not just advised, to help those in need or we will face eternal consequences. Jesus’ message is straightforward but putting this into practice all the time is not an easy task, especially when faced with people in need every single day. I have a lot to learn when it comes to loving others. 

 

This advent, reflect on God’s incredible love for you, love God with your whole being and love those around you as best as you can. Love is essential. Especially in this difficult season, in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, be mindful of people who may be lonely or in need. Share some love with those around you this advent season.

 

Choose love.

 

O Come Emmanuel.

Advent: rejoice always...

^“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”(Luke 2:8-11)

 

The third candle is the light of joy. At Christmas we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord has come,” joyfully celebrating Jesus’ first coming. In the middle of the night, while watching their flock, the shepherds encounter angels who announce the joyful news of a Saviour's birth. It is these very shepherds who are the first to pay a visit to Jesus. Although the Hebrews anticipated a Saviour, they probably assumed he would come as a mighty King, demonstrating his authority, power and majesty, not as a fragile baby, lying in a manger, visited by shepherds. However, this little baby is our Saviour, bringing salvation and joy for all the people. These humble circumstances in which Jesus entered the world are a reminder that our joy is not defined by circumstance, but that He is the source of our joy and we can be joyful in all situations. 

 

JOY.

 

Joy is more than momentary happiness. It is not determined by our circumstances, our belongings, our success, our status or our wealth. It stems from God’s presence in our lives, knowing that by His grace we are saved. Knowing that we can trust in Him regardless of our circumstances. “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid…Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”(Isaiah 12:2-3) We do not need to be afraid and we can rejoice in the promise of salvation and eternal life.  

 

How can we find joy this advent, when there are so many hardships? 

 

2020 has been a difficult year. Many people have encountered loss, illness, unemployment, depression, isolation, fear, failed relationships, broken dreams, separation from family. COVID19 has shaken the world to its core. Yet, in the midst of the hardships, I am convinced it is possible to find joy. We simply need to look to Jesus, the source of our joy.

 

In Jesus’ darkest moments, hours before His death, “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples...” (Luke 22:19) “Eucharisteo” is the Greek word for “he gave thanks”.  Charis means grace and chara means joy. Through “Eucharisteo”, thanksgiving, we can find grace and joy. 

 

We are told to rejoice, pray and give thanks. Not sometimes, but always. Continually. In all circumstances. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

 

During advent and beyond, remember to fix your eyes on Jesus, give thanks and pursue joy. Focus on the many blessings in life that He has given you, whether that is health, connecting with family through social media, the beauty of flowers, birds, sunsets and rainbows, provision of food and shelter, friendships, work or simply being alive. May you experience renewed joy this advent through the deep assurance that you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.

 

Rejoice always.

 

O Come Emmanuel. 

 

Advent: and on earth Peace...

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13-14)

PEACE.

 

The second candle of advent is the light of peace. When the angels appear to the shepherds at night they proclaim: “and on earth peace…”. When Mary gave birth to baby Jesus, peace came into the world. Jesus, the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This doesn’t mean that the world was suddenly a peaceful place. It wasn’t an instantaneous ideology of “peace on earth”. Far from it. There was a lot of unrest during Jesus’ time. But Peace dwelt among the people, and still dwells among us today. 

 

Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace but also encompasses harmony, wholeness, completeness and tranquility. It refers to the complete physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual well-being of a person, with an emphasis on being at peace with God, with others and within oneself. 

 

As Christians we are saved through grace and that salvation leads to peace with God yielding an inner peace, due to the knowledge that God brings restoration and healing to us and ultimately to this world. God’s peace guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7) silencing anxieties and worry, leading to wholeness and tranquility. Shalom. 

 

Peace requires us to trust in a God of peace and a God who grants us peace.

 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."(John 14:27)

 

We are also called to be peacemakers, extending peace to our neighbours and communities so that we can be at peace with one another. Shalom. To be at peace with others. This takes courage. It is also a choice. Being a peacemaker requires us to step out of our comfort zone and into challenging situations. At times it requires us to stand up against injustice. Being a peacemaker is not an easy task and it is God’s peace within us that will help bring peace and unity into the situations around us. 

 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

 

Lord, help us to be instruments of your peace. 

 

O Come Emmanuel. 

Advent: cling to hope...

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) 

Today is the first day of advent: a time of waiting and expectation, preparing for, and reflecting on, the coming of Jesus. In this season, while physically preparing for Christmas, with trees, lights, carols, family traditions and delicious foods, we also prepare our hearts, contemplating the hope, peace, joy and love that Christ is. 

 

In the 12^thCentury, Bernard of Clairvaux emphasized Christ’s coming in three ways: in Bethlehem as a baby in the manger, in the second coming at the end of the age and in His presence in our lives every day. 

 

HOPE. 

 

Hope is more than wishful thinking. It is not simply a feeling. It goes beyond mere optimism. Hope is confident expectation. In the New Testament there was a confident expectation that the Old Testament prophecies of a Messiah would be fulfilled through the birth of a Saviour. 

 

As believers, we have a confident expectation that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. We confidently expect that this child who was born in Bethlemen will come again to reconcile this world. We confidently expect the gift of eternal life. 

 

How can we hold on to this hope in a world filled with disease, death, despair, division and injustice? 

 

It seems inevitable to lose hope. However, without hope, life loses its meaning and purpose. We must cling to hope. Jay Y. Kim describes hope as follows: “It doesn’t ignore fear, anxiety, and doubt; it confronts them. It holds steady, clinging to peace in the midst of chaos. Through life’s many treacherous storms … hope is buoyed by something greater that has happened and something greater that is going to happen again.” (from: Hope: An Expectant Leap)

Hope requires a trust placed in a loving and merciful God who is the same yesterday, today and forever, who knows the beginning from the end and who keeps His promises. Hope in the one who has come and who will come again. Hope in the one who is present in our lives, whose Spirit dwells within us. 

 

St. Augustine prayed the following: “How much you have loved us, kind Father! If your Word had not become flesh and had not dwelt among us, we would have had to believe that there was no connection between God and humanity and we would have been in despair.” 

Our hope is in God alone. 

"But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone." (Psalm 33:18-22)

 

Cling to hope. 

O Come Emmanuel.