THE POWER OF LOVE: THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST

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Christian love remains as a spiritual power in the worlds of humans and angels. It destroys the wall of enmity among God and His heavenly and earthly creatures. As we celebrate Christmas, the incarnation of the Logos and the Nativity of the savior, we perceive the magnificent power of love that forced God from His heavenly throne to reveal Himself in flesh and come to this corrupted world. Spiritual love is characterized by absolution and selflessness. When Adam and Eve transgressed God’s commandments, they unfortunately lost the power of God’s graceful love that connects them with their heavenly patron. Glory to Him from His Heavenly Kingdom; He did not forsake them sinking down deep in the swamp of sin.  At the fulfillment of Judaic prophets’ forecast (Is 7:14), the Messiah was made man from the Holy Theotokos to forgive our trespasses, for “love covers a multitude of sins (1Pet 4:8), and He brought this magnificent power of love to us. 

In order to perfectly understand the core message of Christ we must share with each other, let us demonstrate the allegorical connotation of the passage that the wise man stated about the power of love:

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave, her shafts are shafts of fire, even the flames thereof. Much water will not be able to quench love, and rivers shall not drown it” (Song of Songs 8:6).

We may enjoy religious ecstasy being mesmerized by spiritual hymns on Sundays as well as in the marvelous night of nativity. However, we may attain nothing for our own salivation without experiencing such a power. We should be realistically sealed by the love of God and His glorified creatures. It was the power of love and zealousness to orthodoxy that makes martyrs remain cruel to accept deaths of martyrdom joyfully. Once Christians empowered with love and connected one another with spiritual fellowship, neither a storm of misunderstanding nor a river of enmity can separate them. Separation or divorce becomes bitter like death for couples united with the power of unconditional love. 

As the power of love has smashed the wall of separation between heavenly and earthly creatures, a multitude of angels came down from heaven on this day and spent all the night of Nativity singing with the shepherds, and said:  

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors” (Luke 2:14). 

With this divine power, the seven adversaries such as man and God, man and Angels, the human soul and flesh, as well as the heavenly and earthly creatures have been unanimously united. With God’s abundant love, we became one with celestial clerics and have got the privilege of participating in the chant of cherubim and seraphim. 

It is certainly true that partaking in the holy Eucharist, practicing alms giving, attending Divine Liturgy, and following biblical and patristic discourses are some of the virtues that lead an orthodox to the state of perfectionism. Nevertheless, unless we imitate Christ in love and specifically in forgiveness and reconciliation, we may not attain His kingdom, for He has put an absolute remark that determines no salivation without love.

At the Nativity, Christ has attracted strangers (wise men) from Far East by His fatherly love to entrust them carry this divine message and witness the truth about the Messiah for the world (Matt 2:11). Our love and our peaceful companionship should similarly shine like the beam of the Sun to pull others toward Christ as a flower attracts bees with its sweet substance.

Congregating in the church every Sunday and performing religious and social activities may not imply the existence of spiritual love among Christians. There should be a relative peace and harmonious relationship that allow our children replicate orthodoxy. As a core religious virtue, Christian love demands denying one’s interests for peace and for the wellbeing of others (Luke 9: 23). Here is what love means for to St. Paul:

  

“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth” (1Kor 13:4-6).

In observing Charismas and epiphany, we are welcoming the long awaited messiah, the heavenly father of love reveled in flesh. The expected guest needs a charming hospitality of love that transcends worship and glorification, and not merely sacrifices and offerings. Given that we lack such a virtue, we may be unworthy to sing and glorify Him with the host of celestial angles. Let us draw nigh to Him with love, a right spirit and a clean heart free of envy and antagonism.

May we have a wonderful Christmas full of Joy in Christ,

May the grace of the Lord and the blessing of His beloved mother, Theotokos be unto us all,

Fr. Zemene Desta 
San Jose 
California