Love
Written by Allee Williams and Sandy Brauer
Allee Williams
As we focus on the 4th Advent candle of Love, we can know this season does bring us love. Love is the thing that gives you a warm feeling for the everyday. And as we go through difficult times, love is one of the best things to hold you up. When we’re together in the Sanctuary or gathered in the Fellowship Hall, we can know that it was God’s love, that brought us together. So, all the the joy and the fun that we have in the those times are also brought by love. Even as I speak, we are still all together experiencing God’s love among us. And we can be so thankful for that experience.
Sandy Brauer
The 4th candle of Advent focuses on Love. Our beautiful banner as created and produced by Kristin (along with many helpers!!) is a visual reminder of God’s love in the world. As Christians we are called to do more than just read about that love or to meditate on that love, but are called to live that love in the world today. The reading and the meditating is the easy part but it becomes more difficult as we try to interpret that love in our daily lives!
In the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke to his disciples and explained that he would be leaving them, but he would send God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit) to be with us. That spirit dwells with us and in us, and thus enables us to make God’s love visible to the world in both great and small acts of compassion.
A favorite concept of mine comes from Thomas Merton who writes that the spark of God is within each of us and if each one brings that spark of God to the surface, it would be like a diamond blazing with the light of heaven and would shine into the darkness and erase the injustices and darkness in the world.
Come Holy Spirit and illuminate our lives today as this 4th candle is lit, the candle of Love.