“Advent Reflection - Love”

Matthew Sloan - 22/12/2024

While we live in peace, when we look around the world, there are so many people living in horrendous situations. People living in war zones, such as Gaza and Lebanon, but also in Ukraine, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria, and more. While we live in secure housing with fresh running water and more than enough food, millions do not have enough food or access to safe water, do not have safe, stable housing, do not have health care and do not have meaningful employment.

For so many men, women and children around the world, Advent is not a time of hope, it is a time of hopelessness. It is not a time of peace, because conflict impacts every aspect of their lives. Nor is it a time of joy, because there is nothing to be joyful about.

But even as people experience terrible hardship, we see love. On Social Media over the past week or so there is a photo depicting a rescue team with a baby girl they rescued from a building demolished by bombing in Gaza. In the midst of tragedy and hardship, we see a group of rescuers showing love, care and concern for others, dare I say sacrificial love. And evident in the love are faint embers of hope.

Psalm 80: 1-7 paraphrased

Luke 1: 39-55

Love, Only Love

There is plenty of darkness in this world. It seems to get closer every day. How we decide to deal with the darkness in our lives, in the world, and in our own souls is a life-defining decision.

Lighting the advent candles is a way to change the narrative. It builds on the idea that

Jesus is the light of the world…and he calls us to take his light to the world. During Advent, the coldest and darkest time of the year in the Northern hemisphere, Christians use an Advent wreath with four or five candles to represent the light of Jesus in people’s hearts and homes. As Francis of Assisi said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

Advent provides a unique opportunity to reflect on how God’s love has impacted our own lives. How has His love changed us? How has it challenged us to live more compassionately, more sacrificially, and more selflessly? As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, we are invited to consider how we can allow God’s love to shape our thoughts, our actions, and our relationships.

This transformation is not something that happens in isolation. God’s love is inherently communal. As we experience His love, we are called to extend it to others. Whether through acts of kindness, words of encouragement, or simple gestures of care, we can become instruments of God’s love in a world that so desperately needs it.

We wouldn’t be talking about Jesus still today if he had only said things like, “Love your enemy”. This is how he actually lived. He didn’t just say it, he did it. He was constantly helping and serving the people around him in very practical and tangible ways. And he consistently moved towards poor and hurting people who couldn’t benefit him in return. He showed love for the forgotten ones, the people who usually fall through the cracks. (Bible Project)

Biblical love, agape love,  refers to more than just a feeling. It’s about caring for someone regardless of their response, and was modelled perfectly by Jesus. To fully grasp the significance of the love we celebrate during Advent, we must understand what the Bible means when it speaks of love. In our culture, love is often portrayed as an emotion or feeling, something that comes and goes depending on circumstances. But the love described in the Bible, specifically agape love, goes far beyond mere emotion. It is a self-giving, sacrificial love that seeks the well-being of others, even at great personal cost. It is a giving love that seeks nothing in return.

A concrete definition of how we love people the agape way is from 1 Cor: 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind and not jealous; live does not brag and is not arrogant; does not act unbecomingly it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

In the words of the apostle John, 1 John 4:9, , ‘God’s own agape, God’s own love was revealed when he sent his one and only Son into the world, so that through him, we could have life.” And for John, then, this leads naturally to the conclusion, “beloved ones, if that’s how God loved us, then we ought to show love for one another.’ 1 John 4:11. This love is not merely a seasonal sentiment, but a transformative force that calls us to reflect, embody, and share it with others.

When speaking about love, 1 John 4:7-12  builds upon this theme by calling followers of Jesus to reflect God’s love in their own lives. The passage begins with a simple yet profound command: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”

As we reflect on this love, we are called to emulate it in our own lives. Advent is not just a time for receiving love; it is a time for giving love. It is a time to consider how we can mirror God’s love in our relationships, our communities, and our daily interactions, and hence share God’s love with the world.

This Advent season we can offer the gift of love. This is the true spirit of Christmas—a love that is selfless, sacrificial, and transformative. But how can we put this love into action during the Advent season? Here are four suggestions that might just set the scene for the year ahead.

1.     Reach Out to the Lonely and Struggling:  Christmas can be a difficult time for many, particularly those who are lonely, grieving, or struggling. One of the most powerful ways we can share God’s love is by reaching out to those who are hurting. Whether through a phone call, a visit, or a simple act of kindness, we can be a source of comfort and encouragement to those in need.

2.     Offer Practical Help:  Love is often best demonstrated through tangible acts of service. Whether it’s offering to help a neighbour, volunteering at a local charity, or providing for someone’s material needs, these acts of love reflect the selflessness of Christ’s love.

3.     Extend Forgiveness:  One of the greatest gifts we can offer during Advent is the gift of forgiveness. Just as God has forgiven us through Christ, we are called to forgive those who have wronged us. This is not always easy, but it is a powerful way to demonstrate the love of God.

4.     Be Present: In our busy, distracted world, one of the most valuable gifts we can give is our time and attention. Whether with family, friends, or strangers, being fully present and attentive is a profound way to show love. This Advent season, let us prioritize meaningful connections and conversations, reflecting the love of Christ in our interactions.

So, Christian faith involves trusting that, at the centre of the universe is God, overflowing with love for the world, which means that we can give it back out to others, creating an ecosystem of others-focused, self-giving love. And that’s the New Testament meaning of agape love. This is the love we celebrate during Advent—a love that is active, not passive; a love that takes initiative, reaches out, and embraces the unlovable.

As we move through Advent and approach Christmas, we are reminded that love is at the heart of this season. This love is not passive—it is active, reaching out to those in need, sacrificing for the sake of others, and bringing light into the darkness.

May the love of God fill your hearts this Advent season, and may you be empowered to share that love with others in all that you do. This is the true meaning of Christmas—a love that gives, serves, and sacrifices for the sake of the world.

Let’s reflect on love as we listen to this song, Perhaps Love, performed by Placido Domingo and John Denver. The words will be on the screen.

MUSICAL REFLECTION – PERHAPS LOVE