My dear friends, let us love each other, since love is from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love. This is the revelation of God’s love for us, that God sent His only Son into the world that we might have life through Him. Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent His Son to expiate our sins. I John 4:7-10
The reality of the love of God, manifest in a manger is what we celebrate this Christmas Day: The Birth, The Coming of the Christ-child. God loved the world (meaning you and me) so much that He sent His Son to and for us. His love that floods cannot drown, many waters cannot quench, His love that is stronger than death was first revealed in a baby. God gave us a baby. How do we respond to a baby? What erupts in our hearts when we see a baby is first a delightful drawing – we always step toward a baby, we notice, we want to see, don’t we? Secondly, a wondrous warming – babies elicit interest, excitement, and tenderness. Thirdly, spontaneous joy. We can’t help but smile and want to engage with this little life. God’s a genius. He gives us His Baby, the most non-threatening, gentle, non-intimidating gift – making it remarkably easy for us to receive His love. As a baby, the Love of God draws, warms and evokes joy in deep places in us almost without effort. Like a planted seed, as we receive the love of God in the given Baby,we grow to love the Son at 12 who must be about His Fathers business, as The Baby grows within our hearts, love grows to embrace the One who invites us to give up all and follow Him, as He becomes the Sacrificial Lamb, as He lays down His life and becomes our death, as He conquers all and becomes our King we are nurtured in love and grown to love even the Cross because we received and love The Baby. Isn’t it beautiful that we are not asked to receive the love of God as manifest on the torturous Cross first? No, first we are invited to receive the Love of God, drawn, warmed, joyful as a baby. Who (but the most self centered heart) can refuse a baby? A baby draws our attention, moves our heart, and gives us joy without noticeable effort on our part. He just does. And when we receive and love The Baby, we begin the journey of knowing and thereby loving God. My heart this Christmas, is that we would all embrace The Baby, receive anew The Gift, be drawn, moved, filled with joy – God’s Son – given for you and me. Merry Christmas!