Advent Candle of "LOVE"

“LOVE”

Last week I attended a Christmas party for the cast members and volunteers of the Palm Canyon Theater. I was navigating about the house trying to find my way to the food table when I was stopped in my tracks by a pair of tiny arms hugging me around my knees. I looked down into the face of 4 year old Eva. She looked up into my face, eyes wide and warm, sweet and full of vulnerability, obviously glad to see me and said, simply, "Manda." I hugged her tight and seeing the open, unhesitating, gladness in her expression I was suddenly aware that this is the connection that God is longing for with us. God loves us like this. God reaches out for us like this little child, with this vulnerable, unhesitatingly innocent embrace of adoration. This is what God longs for us to see and realize as we lean over the manger, wonderstruck, on Christmas Eve. God has become for us this vulnerable, innocent spontaneously expressive child. God in the child Jesus, like 4 year Eva is reaching out to us eyes wide with wonder, smile sweet and warm, tiny arms unabashedly glad to see us. They wrap around our knees, as the God-child Jesus lovingly whispers your name and mine. Isaiah it was who foretold this, the Rose, the Rose I have in mind; with Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind. To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior when half spent was the night.
I light the candle of Love.