Three Thoughts on Love

Did you know that in general shepherds were basically an unruly lot. Kind of nomadic on the outskirts of towns and when they left it was normal to check to see what they took. And think of the wise men. Easterners who walked around literally with the heads in the sky. A mystical group referred most commonly to as magi. And then there was Joseph and Mary. Newlyweds with a huge undertaking to begin their life together. And then we find them, finding themselves outside at night sleeping with the animals. And again perhaps a small musician playing a drum.

And in fact Christmas is a family time of year. (in old Bethlehem they were required to return to their place of birth)

So now take a look at our “normal” American made family. House, two cars, 2 kids gramma and gramps maybe cousins and inlaws and aunts and uncles.

When we stop and take a good look at the makeup of our “family”. Which standard do we take to judge which is better. Perhaps we should take the modern concept of a “dysfunctional” family and rethink it well. Clearly Jesus was born into a strange grouping of folks. Clearly His “family” included the dogs and ox and lambs.

So I tell you true, wherever there is Love there is family. Wherever there is not Love there can be no family. Do not sweat what your grouping of folks are, but make them family. Include the animals, include your “magi” include the wandering shepherd and the poor musician. Now! Go! “love the one your with”

To act in a sense of dignity. No longer in America can we act as though it is necessary to survive. Even the hopeless alcoholics and drug addicts have help without recrimination for the most part. Atheists and Believers in God can argue with out drastic fear of safety. We have the excess to help those with less who truly need. We understand that beating and making children work is wrong. We debate gayness and abortion and global warming. Some own cars powered by the solar energy from their roofs.

Personally I give thanks.

Started the day off rough. Had a computer problem that I had to fix and then had to get paperwork out first thing. So I started my day without prayer and meditation and reading the scripture. I reckon no matter where you are you can have a rough start to the day. I think of the homeless alcoholic people and think about how hard it must be to get up and rolling. Fear must set in pretty hard. Fear about food and safety and probably where to get the next drink.

So I began my prayers with thanks, thanks for the rough start. And thanks for reminding me that the physical is transitory but the spiritual will go on forever. And I pray that I may be strong enough to:

Romans 12 ⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.

Do you know what the trouble with things is? They run out. Coffee in the pot. Gas in the tank. Fruit off the tree. Even peoples’ bodies run out. I keep running out of things and have to go get more. But there is something that the more you use it the more you get.

I am talking about Love here. Love does not whither and die. Love grows and refills itself as it is consumed. If we use it a whole lot we get a whole lot back. Love is not a candle that burns itself out. Love is an eternal flame that gets hotter with use.

Funny but sometimes we think we are all out of Love and go looking for it. When all the time it is there for us waiting patiently for us to use it.

Love is the one thing; The more you give, the more you get. Sometimes we do not feel much like being a Loving person. We look for and see fault or anger or resentments. We get mad at the world. Well perhaps the world deserves our anger. But that does us little good.

But I tell you truthfully. God deserves our Love. We deserve our Love. And the world is made better by our Love. Just take a moment and close your eyes and breathe deeply. Concentrate on the area around your heart. I am not mistaken here. If you try you will find the presence of God within you,,, within your Love and this my friends is truly eternal. Now please for your own sake, go give some of that Love away so you can get more and more!

1 John 4 12

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

A time when more and more people are living in a loving caring world they create around them. We are discussing it and reading about it and writing about it. Yes there are horrors about and yes we have overpopulation and pollution and wars.

But we are beginning to stand up against those things on moral grounds like no time in history. The Greatest super power in the history mankind is spending as much on Health, Education. Welfare, science and foreign aid than on their military. That is huge. I am in a mixed marriage and get no grief for it.

We have a long way to go but except for the everyday kindness and love that makes us all heroes:

If you can't do no good at least do hurt anyone, for I have a dream that one day one man will not hurt another. Ask not what your friends can do for you but but what you can do for your friends. I tell you this it is easy to love who loves you but hard to love another.

I regret I have but one life to give to the progress of man, but I shall never regret my life. This is one small act of love but one giant act for mankind.