“Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love divine; Love was born at Christmas; star and angel gave the sign.” Christina Rossetti
The poem “Love Came Down at Christmas” written by Christina Rossetti in 1885 and put to music that was written in 1927 by David Evans is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. The poem reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas, which is not about all the things, but it is about celebrating the love that God sent into this world through God’s son, Jesus. Love that, like the shepherds, we are to share and tell everyone about. And of course, in order to share this amazing love of God with all the world, we need to be loving. We don’t seem to do that very well.
There is a song by Over the Rhine, a music group that came out of Cincinnati, Ohio. They did a version of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” that is outstanding. They added verses that are so very pertinent for today:
The lamplit streets of Bethlehem, we walk now through the night, there is no peace in Bethlehem, there is no peace in sight.
The wounds of generations, almost too deep to heal, scar the timeworn miracle, and make it seem surreal.
The baby in the manger, grew to a man one day, and still we try to listen now, to what he had to say.
Put up your swords forever, forgive your enemies, Love your neighbor as yourself, let your little children come to me.
You know, I have to wonder, when did we get so full of anger and hate? And no sooner do I ask, that I know the answer. History teaches us that we have always been filled with hate. We do not follow the teachings of Jesus. Jesus who taught us to love and forgive. But then, I don’t think we know how to love or forgive. We get caught up in our feelings and we forget that sometimes our feelings, while genuine to us, are not always accurate. We mis-interpret what people say. Or we assign our own meaning to their words and actions without asking clarifying questions. We assume we know the truth of a situation and refuse to acknowledge that maybe we don’t have all the information. We don’t let people know their words hurt us. And we certainly do not set boundaries with people who trample all over us.
So, we lash out. We are disagreeable. We are mean-spirited. We hurt people who have hurt us. We have forgotten that love means we offer love in the face of hate. We offer love when others are being disagreeable. We love in a way that says, I see you, I hear you, I care about you, and I want what is best for you. Even when the other is lashing out from their own hurt and pain, we will choose to offer love in return. It is hard.
But here’s the thing: It is worth it. Because in the end love wins over hate. That is what Christmas is all about. Love coming into this world and patiently working within us to overcome our fears, our anxieties, our biases, our anger, our hate.
We are reminded in this season of Advent that leads us to Christmas that Love wins. The good news doesn’t get any better than that.
Peace,
Beth
Beth's Blog 