00:00Created to love. Love can feel like something that just happens to us. People talk about
00:11falling in love or chasing it as a way to feel whole. Songs say love is all you need,
00:18often imagining it as a path to personal fulfillment. But Advent points us to a deeper
00:24kind of love, not accidental or self-focused, but steady, costly, and others-centered.
00:31This love takes shape in commitment. It looks like seeking another person's good,
00:36even when that requires sacrifice. The Apostle Paul describes love as patient,
00:42kind, and enduring, not self-seeking. And Jesus embodies this kind of love completely.
00:49On the cross, with his enemies mocking him, he prays for their forgiveness.
00:54He gives his life for friends and enemies alike, showing that true love always moves outward.
01:01Living with this kind of love does not mean neglecting our own need.
01:05Jesus said, Love your neighbor as yourself. We care for others best when we see ourselves
01:11and them as mutual image-bearers, both equally and deeply loved by God. Advent draws our attention
01:19to the future that will arrive in God, an entirely restored world where this kind of love defines
01:25and compels every relationship. It also calls us to start living into that future now.
01:32Each act of self-giving love, welcoming a stranger, forgiving someone who wronged us,
01:38caring for a neighbor in need, reveals a small but powerful work of the kingdom that Jesus is creating
01:44and promises to complete one day. Faith and hope will one day give way to sight,
01:49but love endures forever. As we give of ourselves we participate in the very love that defines God,
01:57the love that Jesus reveals. Reflection Exercises
02:01How do these texts challenge the idea of love as mere feeling? How do they reframe love as an active
02:09way of living that reshapes community life? Think about a situation in your life marked by rivalry,
02:16indifference, or distance. What would it look like to introduce even one act of unexpected love there,
02:23not to get something in return but to reflect God's character?
