Love is that wonderful emotion we feel for our families and friends or for ourselves. But could love also be something deeper?
In the Bible there is a book which is an extended love poem. It is the Song of Songs. In chapter 8 of the book, we read ‘set me as a seal upon your heart...for love is strong as death.’
That is the whole question which the Bible is trying to answer; is love as strong as death? It is a real question which should never be dismissed with a shallow answer.
People come to church, particularly at Christmas, with questions about themselves and their loved ones and think of Christmas celebrations in the past with family members now absent from them.
But those who keep coming to church throughout the year are saying, yes love is not only as strong as death, it is even stronger.
It will endure beyond death. But this is not something we can say for others. We can only learn to say it for ourselves. Love and faith are intertwined.
The Christian Faith maintains that love is not only an attribute of God, it is God. God is love. It is worth remembering that there is nothing any of us can do that will make God love us any more than God does already.
St Augustine wrote, ‘What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.’
Perhaps that is why at this time of the year, people want to reach out to others and are especially generous to charities.
We are also very concerned about the areas of violence and conflict in our world and especially in the land where Jesus Christ was born.
That is why we continue to pray for peace and do all we can to support the work of aid agencies working in conflict situations.
Pray for those you will be meeting over the Christmas season. Pray for those who feel little love at this time in our world of conflict and inequality.
Remember God’s love for you, and for them, is unending. As we celebrate Christmas I am reminded of the poem by Christina Rossetti:
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.