In this Advent season, we reflect on the ultimate act of selflessness—a king choosing to become a vulnerable child, a testament to the transformative power of love. God’s love surpasses human comprehension, a divine affection that came from heaven with love.
There was an unwritten rule in my childhood home: never utter the word “wallpaper” in front of Dad. My mother had a fondness for changing our home’s wallpaper as often as the seasons changed. To her, it was a creative expression. For my dad, it was a yearly ordeal that he approached with a mix of reluctance and unwavering love.
Whenever the dreaded word slipped through Mom’s lips, my siblings and I became stealthy escape artists. Like clockwork, we disappeared into the shadows of the house as the ritual began. There was the grumbling symphony of Dad, the reluctant wallpaper remover. With each wallpaper change, Dad transformed into a determined wallpaper demolition expert.
One day, I was unable to contain my curiosity. I ventured to ask Dad about his peculiar relationship with wallpaper. With a twinkle in his eye and a sigh of resignation, he confessed, “I hate it a lot, but I love your mother even more.”
Dad’s annual skirmish with wallpaper was a small sacrifice in the grand symphony of their shared life. Only later in my own journey, having been married for 31 years, did I truly appreciate the depth of character required to do something one dislikes with unwavering dedication for the ones you love.
Love descended
As we gather in the warmth and joy of the Christmas season, our hearts resonate with the central theme that defines this celebration—love. We delve into the profound message of Christmas. It is a message that echoes through the ages: the love that descended upon us.
“A thousand times in history, a baby has become a king, but only once did a king become a baby,” says Ray Pritchard, pastor and author.
The familiar verse John 3:16 captures this truth: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The nativity story, at its core, is a tangible manifestation of God’s unfathomable love for each and every one of us.
The Apostle John, in 1 John 4:7-12, reinforces the theme of love: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
Christmas, at its heart, is a season of giving—a reflection of God’s ultimate gift of love to humanity. In the spirit of this divine example, may our hearts be filled with love for one another, for in loving, we reflect the very essence of God who abides in us and perfects his love through us.
As we close this Christmas season, let the love of God, which surpasses human understanding, guide our steps. In the tapestry of our lives, may each thread be woven with the same sacrificial love that inspired a king to become a baby and a dad to face the yearly ordeal of wallpaper with unwavering dedication.
Stuart J. Curry is the pastor of Salem Mennonite Brethren Church in rural Bridgewater, South Dakota. He is originally from Washington State. He and his wife, Anne, have 11 children and two grandchildren. Stuart’s hobbies are woodworking, chasing his kids and finding the perfect cup of coffee.
