Advent, #1 of 3: God Is Love

Christians celebrate this pre-Christmas season looking back to Jesus' first coming in Bethlehem, looking forward to his promised return in power and glory to bring peace on earth (Yes, really!) and soaking in his daily coming into our lives and thoughts by his Spirit. These three
weeks,  I'll be writing on three themes:  God Is Love; God Showed Us Love; God Invites Us Into Love.

Why do we say God is love?  Because God is not a single entity, alone or longing for love. God is Father, Son and Spirit, three Persons so completely given to one another
that the Bible calls God "one." I can't explain it, just accept it. Here's a graphic that attempts to show their closeness, in the sense of constant self-giving and receiving from one another:

Because of this complete intimacy, we could describe God as perfect Community, perfect Love. (You could check out 1 John 4:8 for the same idea.) And what does love want to do? Expand, offer more and greater love. Love gives.

So how would an infinite God expand his love? By creating something that didn't already exist, and fill it with love also. We physical beings call that "the universe." In that universe God created beings of all kinds, including humans who could learn, make choices, and have relationships. Somewhat like God, in that sense.

God showed love to those people, walking and talking with them. He invited them into his own self-giving love. And he made plans, right from the creation, to enter into their world, not just as a visitor, but as a permanent part of it. How would he do it? He would become one of us, 'adding humanity to his divinity' as it's described, and live as one of us. That's what we call the 'incarnation.'  By entering the physical, in a human body, God would be connected with us forever, and give us humans a permanent place with himself, inside that incredible, unending state of love. That was the plan from before the universe. And it's still going on. Stand by for next week's post, "God Showed Us Love."