Scripture ~ “Be patient, be kind, be humble, be polite, be a listener, be open to hear another’s point of view. Be peaceful, be love.” Redacted reading of Corinthians 13:4-5 by the Rev. C. Senarighi
Spiritual Focus ~ Love doesn’t need reason; it speaks from the irrational wisdom of the heart. ~Deepak Chopra, MD, Indian American author and pioneer in integrative medicine and New Age spirituality
Breath Prayer ~ Breathe in Love, then breathe it back out…
Devotion ~ This week we light the fourth candle of Advent, the candle of love. The Advent season culminates with the intention of love like the final act of a play, the big reveal in a mystery, or the grand finale. This focus on love moves us from the logical mind to the irrational heart. That God would enter into our human life as an infant seems mysterious or irrational, but that is often how love is. God uses this way to offer humanity yet another way to love God and to love each other. This Advent love, founded in intention, flows infinitely and mutually from God to us to one another. The world’s great religions and spiritual practices teach this emphasis on the heart as the foundation of intentional, life-giving, and life-changing love. Christians believe God entered into our world to continue to teach us about this deep heart love and is the reason we celebrate Love Incarnate every Christmas. The advent of Love Incarnate fulfills the promises of hope, peace, and joy through God’s presence with us.
The scripture today is a redacted form of the apostle Paul’s teachings on love. Whereas the familiar version describes what love is, this version suggests how we are to be love as living examples of God’s love. “Be patient, be kind, be humble, be polite, be a listener, be open to hear another’s point of view. Be peaceful, be love.”
Yoga is a practice that unites body and mind and teaches us to live with an open heart as loving beings. Bhakti yoga is described as the path of love and devotion to the object of our affection. For us in the Christian faith, our love and devotion are directed toward the babe in a manger: Emmanuel, God with us. Ultimately, this story of love can only be experienced in the wisdom of the heart so that we can BE love in the world.
