"WHERE TO FIND LOVE"
a message by Rev. Dr. Bruce Havens
Coral Isles Church, U.C.C.
December 22, 2024
Luke 2:1-20 NRSV
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.
Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
We have come to the Advent Sunday of Love. In reality I believe every Sunday is about love. Maybe every day is about love. Yet so many of us live wondering if we are loved, or feeling unloved, or searching for someone or something to love. So I am tempted to ask the question this morning, “Where do you find love?” You smart dog lovers know the solution, don’t you. Much as I understand that, I’m not sure I can fit that in as we prepare for Christmas since God did not come as a Golden Retriever, although that might have been cool!
You may think me sacrilegious but I think sometimes we can be so serious about what love is and isn’t, I feel inclined this morning to take things a bit more lighthearted. And my comment about dogs and love – though I don’t have a dog – is not intended to lessen the importance, value, or power of love. But how does one get light-hearted about the most important, powerful reality in the world, without devolving into a rom-com? Let me see if I can do this. I beg your forgiveness in advance if I fail.
The stories of Christmas are about love more than anything else. The story of God’s love for us, no matter who we are. Our faith claims God is our Creator. Our faith claims God does not see anyone of less worth than another. To put it in old-time religion terms, God loves the worst sinner as much as the greatest saint. Today, we, as a church, claim that God loves each of us no matter who we love, how we identify, what abilities or disabilities, mental, physical or other health challenges we face. The story of Christmas is that God loves us. Looooove, love, loves us! Every one of us!
Now we know a lot of churches have a much more limited view of who and what God loves. That’s ok, we claim God still loves them, too. The challenge for all of us is to love as God loves. But that’s not my point today. My point is how much God loves us. Loves us enough to come to us in the flesh, we say. Loves us enough to show us what it is like for a human to love another human no matter what. This boy-child God sent, the one named Jesus, grew up, and loved the Samaritan foreigner living in Israel. Jesus loved the woman married a bunch of times even if it was against the religious rules. Jesus loved the demoniac, which today we would probably say was bipolar or something similar. Jesus loved the hungry, the poor, the leper, and just kept loving. Funny how loving too much can get people riled up and make them hate you, isn’t it?
I don’t know if those folks are Grinches or Scrooges, I don’t want to call names. Because I can easily start hating the haters and become a Grinch or a Scrooge too. In fact, we can all become caught up in forgetting to love one another, even as we celebrate the birth of the one who comes to us to remind us to love. I struggle with the busy-ness of this season and feel much more like a Grinch myself than little Tiny Tim. If you feel that way sometimes, I understand.
As I was preparing for this Sunday and wondering what I could say that would be true and perhaps new, I was blessed to read something written by a colleague I once knew. She writes liturgies and stories and poems sometimes. And she wrote a little something for Christmas that rhymes. So if you are feeling unloving and unloved some too, let me share this neat rhyme and maybe it will help you, for it made me smile and remember and really, quite truly, feel a lot less blue. In the Spirit and rhyme-pattern of the story of the Grinch, she wrote:
"The grinch on the inside of who you and who me
who shrinks from the carols and ducks under the tree …
"The grinch who fears weight gain and avoids every store,
with chestnut-roast muzak and wreaths on the door …
"The grinch who dreads greedies and commercials for toys,
and deplores the way sadness is wrapped in fake joy …
*This grinch has a heart that is just the right size,
but it hurts so at Christmas that it is no surprise …
*That with all of the darkness, the hurry, the haste,
with all of the “must-do’s,” the parties and waste …
"The grinch on the inside of you-grouch and me-beast,
the grinch who hates candlelight service and feast …
*The grinch who is lonely, and feels like a stranger,
the grinch who’s appalled when I rhyme that with “manger” …
"Finds that all of the stories of this Christmas season,
even rom-coms and Nutcrackers point to one reason.
"It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Fred Claus,
even tongue-on-a-flagpole are still streaming because --
"There’s a mystery here, there’s a wonder, a glow,
that comes not from a package or starlight on snow …
*That is not about family with its comfort or grief,
and is not about having some perfect belief …
"It’s all about God, who won’t come the right way.
who jumps out of the church, as well as the sleigh …
"God who needs diapers but takes myrrh in a pinch --
"this God who sends babies is in love … with each Grinch"
My friend and colleague, Rev. Maren Tirabassi, a great writer and pastor, wrote this ode. I hope it brought you a smile and some joy this Noel, even as we remember and sing about the very First Noel. AMEN.
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