In the wee hours of this eleventh day of Christmas I was awake and pondering love. I’ve done that a lot over the years. The world has a lot of conflicting ideas about what love is or how to define it. Something I have noticed is that the definitions of love are a lot different the further you get from morality. It is nothing like the love we see displayed in Scripture, whether it is God’s love for us or the love of believers for others.

When you separate love from the truth of God and His Word, there is no telling what you will have. But it won’t be the love of God or the selfless kind of love He wants us to show each other.

1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

The Christmas season is a reminder of the vast love that God has for His creation. Ponder that as you read or sing this hymn.

Love Divine, all love excelling, Joy of heav’n to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling, All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation, Enter ev’ry trembling heart.

Breathe, oh, breathe Thy loving Spirit Into ev’ry troubled breast;
Let us all in Thee inherit, Let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty, to deliver; Let us all Thy life receive.
Suddenly return and never, Nevermore, Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee,
Changed from glory into glory, Till in heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

The Lutheran Hymnal #351