“Keep spreadin’ the love” has become almost a cliché among many “wisher well be goods” of our time; it’s a phrase within the same linguistic genre’ of Americanized English as “whatz’up?’. It’s a “feel good attitude”without any real footing or purpose and often expressed by people who are more, “Do as I say, not as I do”.
Thank God that during the Christmas season, there are real, genuine “love givers” out there; people who are willing to prove both the true love of God in their help to others as well as those who spread love from their heart.
A perfect example of the real Christmas gift of love was carried out by one of the McAllen, Texas VFWs(Veterans of Foreign War) who collected fresh fruit and other goodies and spent nearly a day putting it all together in baskets. They wrapped the gifts and presented them with a personal visit to veterans in nursing homes and convalescent centers. This, my friends is real genuine Christmas love. This group of people did not just buy a bunch of presents and drop them off; they made an effort to give them selves personally, show up visit with these veterans and “spread some Christmas love”.
Another example of the gift of Christmas love is multiple churches from different denominations (working together for Christ; what a concept) throughout the valley collecting everything from clothing, toys and financial contributions for the specific purpose of helping the various private and denominational children’s homes (which are many and yet more are needed).
This multi-church, multi-denominational effort to forsake denominational politics and express the true love of Jesus in order that children can experience “Christmas love “ is a true demonstration of Christmas love and the love of Christ
Several of these same churches sang carols with their children’s choirs and performed plays. A few have even taken on individual sponsorshipsof the homes and/or children within the homes as mission projects for the next year. Again, this is a further demonstration of the giving of self and not just things and a demonstration of “Christmas love”.
The first gift of Christmas love began at Bethlehem in the manger of a lowly stable where God left all of His glory, took on humanity and was born a man. He was attended by animals and simple shepherds.
An interesting note about animals in the consideration of Christmas love this year which I would like to dedicate as sort of a Christmas gift to one of my best friends, an avid reader of this column, fine Christian, coleague, award winning author and one of the greatest lovers of animals I know, the Poet/Author Susan Joyner-Stumpf.
What does God know that we don’t? Animals assist man in all sorts of ways today within the medical field. They assist the blind, epileptics, stroke victims and even have the ability to spot cancer, blood clots and embolisms when the best of MRI sand PET scans cannot. Animals also give of their total being sacrificially in medical trials where often their lives are given so man can live, they sacrifice themselves for their masters and often know of impending death and destruction. And every pet owner knows, there is nobody who understands you better when you are down, sad, disappointed or depressed. The prophet Isaiah stated that Jesus would be a “mighty counselor”.
Even more important to the mangerstory and our Savior’s birth is that many more natural and mid-wife assisted births are utilizing animals within the birthing area (Unfortunately no longer much verifiable information in any of the search engines but “all the buzz” a few years back) including specially trained dogs to help a mid-wife find the mother’s stress level before birth in natural child-birth. And also more radical in England, France, South Korea and Japan (and most recently in Hawaii) there was mention on experimentation with human birth in special ocean pool areas with baby dolphins.Women of course have given birth in water for decades. It seems these baby dolphins give off special sonar which all but eliminates a mother’s pain in delivery.
(A graphic video of a real human birth utilizing dolphins is available on You Tube)
All of this is absolutely amazing considering Jesus was born in a manger with sheep, goats, donkey, horses, oxen, cows and probably even camels. Theologians have always had a tendency to see the manger only as a symbolic aspect of Jesus being the sacrificial lamb of God and his common or even lowly birth. But chances are good; very good in fact, that it was more significant. The shepherds also, were very familiar with sheep giving birth which would be of great significance as they attended to the birth of the “lamb of God”.
So the question arises, were the animals expressing their “Christmas love” to the Savior of man kind? And, did the animals actually get the first opportunity at experiencing the love of God through Jesus? Wow, what a concept and all because Jesus was born in a manger (where the animals ate their food). Jesus is the “bread of life”.He was born inside a stable (a place where animals are secured from the elements and all harm), Jesus is our shelter in times of storm and turbulence. Jesus brings us peace and spiritual security.
To be sure, it was no accident that Jesus was born in a manger, inside a stable, among animals and attended by shepherds. The entire event was a demonstration of the total and complete love of God. This was Christmas love. We might want to reconsider the so-called “silliness” some see in giving to animals at Christmas; just a thought. So let’s give some fresh water, a little extra food and an extra pat (at the very least) for those pets.
God did this as a man for all of humanity where he walked among us and the (other) animals for more than thirty-three years, felt what we feel, experienced all of life as we experience it and was even tempted in all like manner (no temptation left out); just like us.
He didn’t have to do any of it but he did because of His love of and for being a man. Jesus favorite designation was not uios o’ theos (son of God) but rather, uios o’ anthropos (son of man). Jesus loved being a man. Jesus is referredto as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament Jesus loves us so very much the Bible tells us the angels are envious of us.
God began His expression of Christmas love at the manger but consummated His love for all of humanity on the cross at Calvary when He gave His life for you and me.
More importantly, Jesus conquered life, sin and death and rose again living today in heaven interceding on our behalf to God the father.
Praise be to Jesus, once a Christ child but now King of kings and Lord of lords.
Keep “spreadin’ the love”, Christmas love.
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