Advent Devotional - Day 25
Wednesday, December 23
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
Let’s all be honest with each other for a second. If you’ve been to a wedding, you’ve heard this little section from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians read aloud. Love is patient. Love is kind. Yada yada yada. It’s a beautiful sentiment, full of aspirations that we’ll likely never live up to in our relationships, but it feels really good for the beginning of a new marriage as the couple sets off on a brand new chapter of their lives.
But we don’t always highlight what comes right before that grocery list of all that love is. Paul makes some pretty bold claims about the importance of love. He goes so far as to say that even if he gives away everything that he has for others and doesn’t have love, he gets nothing out of it. If he had the faith to move mountains but didn’t have love, he’d be nothing. That’s fairly bold. And yet, something tells me Paul was onto something we only dance around.
It’s 2020. There’s pain all around us. There are calls for justice and reform. There are protests and marches for equality and the recognition of the value in all of our neighbors. And in the midst of all that, it’s easy to focus so much on the end goals that we neglect the ways we get there, or more importantly, the why. But as Paul highlights, if we get justice, but don’t have love, what have we gained?
Jesus offers us a pretty good answer to that question. When Jesus was born, oppression was everywhere. Israel was a being run by the Romans. Taxes were too high and “No taxation without representation” wasn’t coming around for a few more centuries. Soldiers would abuse Jewish citizens and inequality was everywhere. What did God do? There wasn’t a revolution or a new leader. There was a baby, born to an unwed mother in a horse trough. There was a God so wrapped up in love for us that that God chose to come enter the fray with us, to experience the highs and lows of life with us, and to model for us a peace and justice rooted in love. Results matter. Action matters. Justice matters. Equality matters. But none of it is whole if it’s not rooted in love.
Reflection by Martin Leathers
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
Let’s all be honest with each other for a second. If you’ve been to a wedding, you’ve heard this little section from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians read aloud. Love is patient. Love is kind. Yada yada yada. It’s a beautiful sentiment, full of aspirations that we’ll likely never live up to in our relationships, but it feels really good for the beginning of a new marriage as the couple sets off on a brand new chapter of their lives.
But we don’t always highlight what comes right before that grocery list of all that love is. Paul makes some pretty bold claims about the importance of love. He goes so far as to say that even if he gives away everything that he has for others and doesn’t have love, he gets nothing out of it. If he had the faith to move mountains but didn’t have love, he’d be nothing. That’s fairly bold. And yet, something tells me Paul was onto something we only dance around.
It’s 2020. There’s pain all around us. There are calls for justice and reform. There are protests and marches for equality and the recognition of the value in all of our neighbors. And in the midst of all that, it’s easy to focus so much on the end goals that we neglect the ways we get there, or more importantly, the why. But as Paul highlights, if we get justice, but don’t have love, what have we gained?
Jesus offers us a pretty good answer to that question. When Jesus was born, oppression was everywhere. Israel was a being run by the Romans. Taxes were too high and “No taxation without representation” wasn’t coming around for a few more centuries. Soldiers would abuse Jewish citizens and inequality was everywhere. What did God do? There wasn’t a revolution or a new leader. There was a baby, born to an unwed mother in a horse trough. There was a God so wrapped up in love for us that that God chose to come enter the fray with us, to experience the highs and lows of life with us, and to model for us a peace and justice rooted in love. Results matter. Action matters. Justice matters. Equality matters. But none of it is whole if it’s not rooted in love.
Reflection by Martin Leathers
Recent
Archive
2021
January
February
Our Work // M-Note 1.29.2021Unlikely Friends and Partnerships // M-Note 2.5.2021We Need Lent Now More Than Ever // M-Note 2.12.2021Lent Devotional // Ash WednesdayDay 2Return to In-Person Worship // M-Note 2.19.2021Day 3Day 4The First Sunday in LentDay 5Day 6Generosity - Jane DavisDay 7Day 8Day 9Day 10The Second Sunday in Lent
March
Day 11Day 12Day 13Day 14Easter Announcement // M-Note 2.27.2021Day 15Day 16The Third Sunday in LentDay 17Day 18Day 19Day 20Day 21Hope Is A Good Thing // M-Note 3.12.2021Day 22The Fourth Sunday in LentDay 23Day 24Day 25Day 26Something New // M-Note 3.19.2021Day 27Day 28The Fifth Sunday of LentDay 29Day 30Day 31Day 32Approaching Holy Week // M-Note 3.26.2021Day 33Day 34The Last Sunday in LentDay 35Day 36Day 37
April
2020
August
October
November
December
Advent Devotional - Day 3Advent Devotional - Day 4Advent Devotional - Day 5Advent Devotional - Day 6Advent Devotional - Day 7Advent Devotional - Day 8Advent Devotional - Day 9Advent Devotional - Day 10Advent Devotional - Day 11Advent Devotional - Day 12Advent Devotional - Day 13Advent Devotional - Day 14Advent Devotional - Day 15Advent Devotional - Day 16Advent Devotional - Day 17Advent Devotional - Day 18Advent Devotional - Day 19Advent Devotional - Day 20Christmas Eve is Just Around the Corner! // M-Note 12.18.2020Supporting Mozambique This Christmas // M.Note 12.11.2020The Legacy of Jack Harbison // M-Note 12.4.2020Advent Devotional - Day 21Advent Devotional - Day 22Advent Devotional - Day 23Advent Devotional - Day 24Advent Devotional - Day 25It's Christmas Eve! // M-Note 12.24.2020
No Comments