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I think I have wished for everything one could wish for on Christmas morning and I have been blessed so often with what I have received. Over the years there have been bicycles and chess sets and clothes and books and Cardinals caps and gadgets and the heart’s desire of that particular year. This year I have had a very simple wish. I have been wishing for love and human decency toward each other.
We have to work at loving each other because it seems there is something within us that puts us inevitably in conflict. John writes about this when he says “the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of earthly things” (John 3.31).
We have seen this human leaning toward conflict played out all too well in this calendar year. Acts of terrorism, expressions of racism, and the noise of politics have conflicted us internally and with each other.
We are all of us a little broken, maybe even more than usual.
All Advent we have longed for Christmas and the coming of the Son of God, Immanuel, God with us. We have longed for Him to comfort us and speak peace to us! We need it badly this year.
"Comfort, comfort ye my people, Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness, Mourning ‘neath their sorrows’ load. Speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them; Tell her that her sins I cover, And her warfare now is over."
On this Christmas morning may we claim the words of 1 John 4 where we are encouraged to “love one another, because love is from God” (v. 7). “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (v. 9). He continues, “Beloved, since God loved us so much, we ought also love one another” (v. 11).
May we all be comforted this Christmas morning by the love of God that comes to us in the Christ child, Jesus, Lord of Heaven and Earth, Prince of Peace, Immanuel, Heart of God’s Heart, Wonderful Counselor, and Hope of the World.
May the love of God made known to us in Christ calm the hearts of those inclined to terror, give sight to those blinded by racism, and open the ears of those who lead.
Blessed be the name of the Lord the one who loves us more than life itself and comes to us this Christmas morn!
Merry Christmas!
Darrell Gwaltney
Dean, College of Theology & Christian Ministry
We have to work at loving each other because it seems there is something within us that puts us inevitably in conflict. John writes about this when he says “the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of earthly things” (John 3.31).
We have seen this human leaning toward conflict played out all too well in this calendar year. Acts of terrorism, expressions of racism, and the noise of politics have conflicted us internally and with each other.
We are all of us a little broken, maybe even more than usual.
All Advent we have longed for Christmas and the coming of the Son of God, Immanuel, God with us. We have longed for Him to comfort us and speak peace to us! We need it badly this year.
"Comfort, comfort ye my people, Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness, Mourning ‘neath their sorrows’ load. Speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them; Tell her that her sins I cover, And her warfare now is over."
On this Christmas morning may we claim the words of 1 John 4 where we are encouraged to “love one another, because love is from God” (v. 7). “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (v. 9). He continues, “Beloved, since God loved us so much, we ought also love one another” (v. 11).
May we all be comforted this Christmas morning by the love of God that comes to us in the Christ child, Jesus, Lord of Heaven and Earth, Prince of Peace, Immanuel, Heart of God’s Heart, Wonderful Counselor, and Hope of the World.
May the love of God made known to us in Christ calm the hearts of those inclined to terror, give sight to those blinded by racism, and open the ears of those who lead.
Blessed be the name of the Lord the one who loves us more than life itself and comes to us this Christmas morn!
Merry Christmas!
Darrell Gwaltney
Dean, College of Theology & Christian Ministry
About this Plan
This Advent Guide comes from students, faculty, and staff at Belmont University. Advent is that season of waiting that carefully and purposefully helps us to realign our priorities and to glimpse, anew, our place before God. Our humble hope is this guide helps people focus more fully on Jesus Christ through the Advent season.
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We would like to thank the students, faculty, and staff of Belmont University for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.belmont.edu
