Advent - Pt 5

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:14-17 ESV). We have lit three candles: the first represented hope; the second reminded us of the forgiveness we have in Christ; and, the third, calls us to joy because of the second coming of Christ. Today we light the fourth candle. It is the candle of love. With this flame we acknowledge the love of God that surrounds and fills us at all times, which is portrayed in a special way in the Christmas story. There is no greater power than love. It is stronger than rulers and empires, stronger than grief or despair, stronger even than death. No Christmas carol is more loved than Away in a Manger. With its simply worded expression of love for the Lord Jesus and trust in His faithful care, the hymn appeals to young and old alike. It is usually one of the first Christmas songs learned in early childhood. For some time it was titled Luther's Cradle Hymn. It was thought to have been written by Martin Luther for his own children and then passed on by German mothers. Modern research discounts this claim, however. Stanzas one and two first appeared in the Little Children's Book, published in Philadelphia in 1885. The third verse was written by a Methodist minister, John T. McFarland, in the early 1900s when an additional stanza for this carol was desired for use at a church children's day program. While it is essential that we be taught and reminded of our need to love the Lord, I find it even more essential that we remember His love for us. Phyllis W. Zeno tells the story of a beautiful, but very troubled little girl who came through the door of her day nursery. From the very beginning I became captivated by this child who had so little but needed so much. I was heartbroken that a four-year-old could suffer such heartache and pain. She was born in prison after her mom had used marijuana, crack and cocaine her entire pregnancy. The little girl was nonverbal and had very little control. I knew her progress would be a mighty battle. Whenever somebody approached her, she became violent for long periods and ended up in a fetal position on the floor crying out. I found myself praying for her day in and day out. As months rolled on, I began to bond with this child that no one wanted. She and I worked very hard taking one step forward and four steps back. Daily, we sat in the big rocking chair in my office, swaying back and forth and back and forth. During our rocking time I sang "Jesus Loves Me." She always settled down and became very still at the melody. Though she never spoke, peace seemed to fill her face as she listened to the song. One day after a very long battle I held my special girl to again calm her fears and pain. In silence we rocked back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Then she looked at me with tear-filled eyes and spoke for the first time, "Sing to me about that Man who loves me." Blinking back tears of joy, I knew the battle had been won. We certainly need to express our love to Jesus; but, His love for us comes first and enables us to do likewise. This candle reminds us of that love!