Devotion: Shifting Paradigms
Shifting Paradigms
Take a moment to read through 1 John 4:7-12, 18-19 & Isaiah 9:2-7.
In this week’s Faith Talk Starters question, listed in the bulletin, I was struck by this query:
“Is there something about the way you celebrate Christmas that you would like to change?”
My response when I’m challenged with questions like this one is, “Yes, of course!” But I can’t name what that change would be out of instinct.
What is it that I actually do to celebrate Christmas? We acknowledge in our family that it’s Jesus’ birthday and that both giving and gratefulness are attributes we want to cultivate in our young children. I’m pretty into decorating and enjoying Christmas treats, too. Beyond those fun components, Christmas can be a milestone of an internal change if we keep our palms up and look for what’s out there, proclaiming the name of love.
If we dwell a bit on these well-known passages on love, there is so much to process, it’s almost overwhelming. But a life, or a love in this case, that goes unexamined is not worthy of our attention, in my opinion. Let’s hold it up. Let’s look into it deeply. Let’s twist it, turn it, and take it apart. For the love we know from God can surely remain upheld by its force of “loving-ness.”
Consider 1 John 4:18 from The Message translation…
“Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.”
I’m partial to this translation because it brings ancient language into our common lexicon. “Well-formed love” is such a simple but helpful way to see the impact of real, God-breathed love. We can see here how fear prevents the full and complete experience of love as we walk this earth.
I do think there we should hold some trepidation for selecting verses at will and putting them under the same category together, but when it comes to the passages on love, what is there to get wrong, really? Love is the antidote to, well, kind of everything. Up from it springs other characteristics we want and need as humans to experience and share a loving life, like understanding, empathy, joy, kindness, and so much more.
And what better package of love to deliver to humanity but a baby? The embodiment of what we would call “pure love.” It’s as if God knew the only thing that would arrest our hearts with love would be the smallest, most vulnerable love-Infant who came to us in such contained power.
Let’s love with the love that arises when we see all the world inside a baby’s eyes.
God of Love, may we be present in this season by examining how your love shows us your intentions. Give us a spirit of reflection and transformation as we seek to live out a well-formed love and heal from this crippling fear. I pray that we don’t hoard the fantastic revelation of Love, but that we share it and celebrate it. Amen.
Written by Joanna Clay
Joanna and her husband, Matt, live in Lincoln with their two young daughters, Emery and Madisen. The Clays have been members of the Sheridan community since 2014. Joanna is Senior Content Manager for a San Diego-based healthcare coaching company called Practicing Excellence. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, longboarding, binge-watching historical dramas, and connecting with others over life’s big questions.