December 11, 2010, Second Saturday of Advent

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:13

These things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.

We’ve all heard the familiar passage from 1 Corinthians. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. But, how often do we look at the last verse of this passage?

Faith, hope, and love are what should define us as Christians. Faith in the Risen Lord. Faith that Christ came, dwelt among us, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and will come again. Faith that God the Father calls us to be in relationship with Him. Faith that the Holy Spirit guides us and teaches us along the way.

We hope in Christ’s return. We hope for the future of the world that it will come to know Christ. We have a hope for our communities that peace will come.

But, Paul writes that the greatest is love. Now, why is that? Love is an outpouring of our faith and hope. Love is the product of our faith and hope in the Living God. Love is our witness, by our actions, to the world that the birth occurred, and we live as a living witness of that glorious event each day. It is how we respond to our families, our friends, our communities, and our world. We respond out of love, because God loved us enough to give us this glorious King.

How are you showing love today? As we live on this Saturday, a day of rest and activity for many of us, how will you show love to others, to your family, and friends?

May we all show love today; patient, kindness, and gentle love for all.

Lord, may your love shine, may your truth be revealed in our actions as we go about this world today. Amen.