In the beginning, God fell in love with creation, and pronounced it very good. Like romantic adoration, God’s eternal love is blind to human betrayal, rebellion, and stupidity. When God’s children ignore the prophets and break every covenant offered to us, God continues to love us like a star-struck lover.
We celebrate Advent and Christmas every year to remind us that God still so loves the whole world that He comes to share the risks and sacrifices of being a vulnerable human being.
In the dark days of December, when wars and senseless violence dominate the news, God’s love simply grows brighter and stronger. The Advent candles remind us that we are all created in the image of God, and the essence of our God is unbounded, unconditional love.
So on this final Sunday of Advent, the circle of the wreath is completed. We relight the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy. And today we light the Candle of Love, because the greatest of these is Love.
[Light all four candles]
Please join me in the prayer on the screen:
O dear God, lover of our souls, we are undeserving and unworthy of your radical love. Our souls our willing, but our flesh is weak. Please sweep us off our feet again in your loving embrace. Help us to share in your wild and crazy romance with this broken world. Let these candles rekindle in us the dream of your beloved community, so we can throw open the gates of love to all of your weary, hopeless children. Remind us once more that the Babe of Bethlehem still calls us to love one another, in the same reckless, unconditional way that you love us. Amen
Northwest UMC, Columbus, Ohio
Peacefully Harsh 