Love is Why
by Joel Bidderman
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (FNV)
Love is patient and kind. Love is never jealous. It does not brag or boast. It is not puffed up or big-headed. Love does not act in shameful ways, nor does it care only about itself. It is not hot-headed, nor does it keep track of wrongs done to it. 6Love is not happy with lies and injustice, but truth makes its heart glad. Love keeps walking even when carrying a heavy load. Love keeps trusting, never loses hope, and stands firm in hard times. The road of love has no end.
Love is patient and kind. Love is never jealous. It does not brag or boast. It is not puffed up or big-headed. Love does not act in shameful ways, nor does it care only about itself. It is not hot-headed, nor does it keep track of wrongs done to it. 6Love is not happy with lies and injustice, but truth makes its heart glad. Love keeps walking even when carrying a heavy load. Love keeps trusting, never loses hope, and stands firm in hard times. The road of love has no end.
When you grapple with the grand mystery of Advent and Christmas, and the radical paradox of it all, it kind of makes you scratch your head and ask the question, “Why?” For the Creator of all things, to come into the existence that He created - not in the best possible situation, but rather in the worst possible conditions. The message of the Good News that is declared in the story of the birth of Christ is that God is not ‘far-off’ and uninvolved in our human experience, but rather He has entered into it.
Henri Nouwen wrote in Life of the Beloved,
"God came to us because he wanted to join us on the road, to listen to our story, and to help us realize that we are not walking in circles but moving toward the house of peace and joy. This is the great mystery of Christmas that continues to give us comfort and consolation: we are not alone on our journey. The God of love who gave us life sent his only Son to be with us at all times and in all places, so that we never have to feel lost in our struggles but always can trust that he walks with us.
The challenge is to let God be who he wants to be. A part of us clings to our aloneness and does not allow God to touch us where we are most in pain. Often we hide from him precisely those places in ourselves where we feel guilty, ashamed, confused, and lost. Thus we do not give him a chance to be with us where we feel most alone.
Christmas is the renewed invitation not to be afraid and to let him—whose love is greater than our own hearts and minds can comprehend—be our companion."
Years ago, I wrote a Christmas song about the love of God - but I did so from the place of the loneliness and desperation that we often feel. As I asked the Lord the question, “Why?” - I felt like the Lord was answering, “Love is why.”
“Love is why You hear the desperate cries
Love is why You answer dark with light
Love is why You came that night
As peace into our violent world”
I invite you to listen to my song:
Henri Nouwen wrote in Life of the Beloved,
"God came to us because he wanted to join us on the road, to listen to our story, and to help us realize that we are not walking in circles but moving toward the house of peace and joy. This is the great mystery of Christmas that continues to give us comfort and consolation: we are not alone on our journey. The God of love who gave us life sent his only Son to be with us at all times and in all places, so that we never have to feel lost in our struggles but always can trust that he walks with us.
The challenge is to let God be who he wants to be. A part of us clings to our aloneness and does not allow God to touch us where we are most in pain. Often we hide from him precisely those places in ourselves where we feel guilty, ashamed, confused, and lost. Thus we do not give him a chance to be with us where we feel most alone.
Christmas is the renewed invitation not to be afraid and to let him—whose love is greater than our own hearts and minds can comprehend—be our companion."
Years ago, I wrote a Christmas song about the love of God - but I did so from the place of the loneliness and desperation that we often feel. As I asked the Lord the question, “Why?” - I felt like the Lord was answering, “Love is why.”
“Love is why You hear the desperate cries
Love is why You answer dark with light
Love is why You came that night
As peace into our violent world”
I invite you to listen to my song:
Reflection:
Take a moment to sit still. Breathe in and out. From the place of stillness, consider these questions:
What are some of the more difficult emotions that you experience this time of year?
In what ways do you feel like you are experiencing God’s love this year?
What are some of the more difficult emotions that you experience this time of year?
In what ways do you feel like you are experiencing God’s love this year?