Advent's Second Sunday: Love

Have you ever done something that you loved so much that you lost yourself in it—lost yourself in a good way? An activity or hobby or sport that was so interesting, so immersive that you left ego behind, forgot all time and space. You ignored the phone and forgot to eat? And for the next several days, if anyone asked you what you'd been doing, they got an earful.

I imagine, God feels this way about his work with us. 

Might we say that in transforming us into his sons and daughters, God became so involved, so interested, so delighted that he forgot himself. He neglected his throne in Heaven. He abandoned his omniscient, omnipotent, and all-present qualities to join us here and prepare us to join him there.

God incarnate, that is Jesus, was so in love with this project that he told anyone and everyone about it. He became so engrossed in his work that sometimes he forgot to eat or sleep. He lost popularity, his dignity, his very life out of love for the work his father gave him to do. And he found that work so satisfying that he did everything possible to equip us to do it with him.

Love does that. It wants to bring others in. And through Jesus, we can learn the trade too.

God's work is so immersive, so consuming, so satisfying that everything else is caught up in its beauty and meaning and direction. For this project is not like our undertakings—accomplished only by human strength and genius. No, God's work is done even in the muttered prayers of the angry and the tear-filled pleas of the hurt and the earnest petitions of the invalid. In fact, the weakest and seemingly insignificant are often the greatest workers in his kingdom.

So forget ego. Forget to answer the phone. Forget all time and space. Get caught up in the love of God's work. And give those you meet an earful so they too might become a part of God's masterpiece. 

More on Advent: Peace, Joy, Hope