Love's command

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Advent is a time of waiting, occurring during the year's dark time when the world seems lifeless. It is the end of the year, when the days are their shortest and the light is most refracted. In this part of the world the sun sets very early, and the darkness dominates our landscapes. We are waiting, waiting for love to be reborn, the incarnate love of God made visible in our lives. We sit by the windows, looking at our bird feeder, watching the winged land and feast. We wait in the dark and light for God's love to blossom in our lives.

Today, there are not a whole lot of words but rather images. God's love like a radiant summer day by the ocean. God's love as the twinkle in a parent's eye. The broad smile of a child swept up in the arms of a grandparent. Little faces pressed against stores windows eyes wide with awe and delight. The gentle touch of an old trusted friend. A shared cup of coffee on a cold afternoon. Love worth waiting for.

May this season of Advent be a time when all of us ache for the love of God in our lives. May we act with the love of God in our lives as we reach out to others. And may we hope with all the saints for a new advent of God's love in our lives so that we may live by love's command.