“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Advent was never about perfection. It was about preparation for Love to arrive in whatever space you have left. And here’s the good news: Love does not check your to-do list before showing up. Love comes to the unfinished, the unwrapped, the undone.” – Kate Bowler
Love
Entering in a stable
Good news
Love has arrived, still arrives, remains
Alive, near as breath, ever-present
Palpable, transformational, for all
Weary world rejoices
Lean forward in awe and wonder
Enter the mystery
Oh, Holy Night
Peace. Joy. Love.
“The whole world tilts tonight. Love has come down, not as power, but as weakness. Not as judgment, but as mercy. Not as a king on a throne, but as a baby in a feeding trough. And that means there is no place too small, too dark, too ordinary for Christ to enter.
So we lean forward with the shepherds, trembling with anticipation. The night sky splits open. Heaven invades earth. And the announcement is not for the powerful but for “all the people.” Love has come, and nothing will ever be the same.
Blessed are we, standing on tiptoe at the manger,
awed that God would stoop so low.
Blessed are we who dare to believe
that Love Himself has come down,
not just for the world,
but for us.” – Kate Bowler