Harmonious Love
Luke 2:1-20
Tonight is one of the most special moments in the lives of many people. It is a time when we gather with family and friends. It is a time when we are filled with memories of past Christmas celebrations and still living traditions. So Christmas is a time filled with dreams of what can be.
Joseph dreams of a heavenly messenger that comes and inspires him to remain with Mary. In another dream he is warned of a threat to the child of God and then again that it is safe to return. Such dreams have come to others across the centuries and which in turn have transformed their communities. Luther dreamed of the power of grace. Teresa of Calcutta dreamed that God’s love could be shared through touching those others would not touch. Martin Luther King dreamt of people of all colors sitting at the table together and calling one another sister and brother. Oscar Romero dreamed of a time when we would realize that we are all instruments of God.
The dreams of this night come to us and invite us to see ourselves differently. Tonight we celebrate God with us, God for us and God for others. The dream of this night invites us to see the vision that we ourselves are called to be for and with others in the midst of all of life. Being for and with others finds expression in the harmonious acts and words of love.
Reflection Questions
With whom do you identify when you read the Christmas story? Pick two characters and write a paragraph below describing how each is feeling throughout the story.
Ask someone to read Luke 2:1-20 to you. Close your eyes and resist the temptation to follow the text in a book. What do you hear from this well-worn story?
Think of a time when your life has been changed by experiencing the incarnation. Was it in an interaction with a friend? A neighbor? A stranger? How did you respond? Was it your first inclination to tell everyone else about your experience with the Incarnation? Did you?