this week i write about love which the third candle of advent symbolizes. there are many kinds of love--romantic love, love between friends, love that is directed towards possessions or position, love of one's children, parents, or other relations, divine love--the list could go on. as i've thought about love, jesus' teachings and example regarding love have been my focus. jesus taught his followers a way to conceive God that was quite different from the traditional concept. it is natural for humans to think of God as the angry, vengeful deity that is common to many religions. the history of religion has largely been one of trying to appease a vindictive god or gods ever on the watch for some misstep by individuals or groups. sacrifices were offered to keep the anger of the gods at bay or to persuade a god who has caused injury as punishment for some offense to change his or her mind.
the God of jesus is very different. that God is a loving parent who cares for the human race as loving parents would care for their children. this God provides for God's children, is quick to forgive human frailty and expects us to do the same. no longer is this the God of "vengance is mine, says the Lord," but rather the God of "as a parent has compassion on his children, so God has compassion on his faithful followers." this God of mercy and love is one worthy of worship, while the god common to most religions was one to be feared. jesus and the God about whom he taught are examples to be followed in our relationships with one another. just as God cares for us, so are we to care for each other. just as God is quick to forgive our shortcomings, so are we to be quick to forgive others.
the historic battle of good versus evil revolves around the ability to love without condition. we embrace good or evil, the force or the dark side, a God of love or a god of punishment. it is our responsibility to choose which path to follow. despite our desire to follow the path of love, we stumble from time to time, but love means being as quick to forgive ourselves as we are to forgive others. we cannot love without the ability to forgive. how many relationships are destroyed because our love is not great enough to include forgiveness. this is one of the great teachings to jesus. when asked how many times we are obliged to forgive one who has harmed us, jesus said that we must forgive an infinite number of times. to love is to forgive.
may we learn to love with our whole hearts. may we learn to forgive without limit. may we worship a God of love and mercy rather than one of a tally sheet marking down our wrongs for punishment. may this magical season awaken our commitment to love unconditionally. may we love both ourselves and others. shalom.
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