Love

Is it seriously the second Sunday of Advent already? Why is it that December goes at three times the speed of January?

Seriously, they say that January is 31 days long but I don't believe it. It's actually 92 days.

According to some traditions the second Advent candle is the Bethlehem candle. Others refer to it as the love candle.

This struck me as a bit odd.

When I think of Bethleham love isn't the first thing that jumps into my mind.

Let's face it, Bethlehem wasn't exactly throwing a festival of love for Mary and Joesph. She had to give birth in a barn. I don't know about you, but if I had some pregnant lady about to give birth show up on my doorstep, I'd have been kicking someone else out of a room for the night. But no one did. They found her a room in a stable instead. Betcha there was no germ gel in sight either.

So, while Bethlehem wasn't exactly running over with love, this is where the ultimate love story started.

A story of a Holy God who wanted to reconcile with his people. So He sent them his son.

I think we sometimes miss the ultimate point of why Jesus came to earth. It wasn't to perform miracles, to start a revolution, form a new religion or even to teach all those parables.

All those things eventually happened, and they were all good, but the ultimate reason was to save us. To save us from our anger, our self-centeredness, our lies, our pride and the consequences of all of these kinds things.

He came to offer us a new way of doing things. His way. Through his Spirit.

But the only way to accomplish this for us was his death.

He offered himself in our place.

That is love.

And it all began in Bethlehem.