1 CORINTHIANS 13:7
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
REFLECTION
Frederick Buechner once said about Corinthians 13 what could be said about the word “love” itself: that it is like “a coin worn smooth with long handling. After a while, it is hard to tell from where it came or what it is worth.” We “love” a lot. We “love” it when the family gets along at Thanksgiving. We “love” a good night’s sleep. We “love” warm bread right out of the oven.
Advent shows us love’s worth. It’s this bizarre idea that God chose to come closer to feel our joy when everyone gets along, as well as the pain of a table divided. God chose to enjoy a good night’s sleep as well as to bear a body worn by a long day. God chose to taste freshly baked bread, as well as to endure the pangs of hunger. God entered the human condition to love the things that are easy to love without shying away from the things that aren’t so loveable. That seems to be a part of the deal because Jesus never flinched.
Advent tells us that this love is not just an emotion. This love is an act of the will. It moves closer to be with another wherever they are, rather than where we would like them to be. It refrains from trying to “fix” someone for the sake of showing them that they are not alone in their brokenness. It empties itself, even when it feels abandoned, to build strength through vulnerability, to liberate through mutual dependence. And when it does, the soul feels its worth and we, on the receiving end of that Christmas gift, find the faith, the hope, and the will to become that very gift for others, even if only for a moment.
WRITTEN BY
Anonymous