Once more, we visit our friend, The Dictionary, to see what there is to say about Love: Love is a strong affection for one another, to hold dear, warm attachment, and an assurance of affection. Our assurance of affection is found in God, who loves us dearly, with a love that we can never be separated from (Romans 8:38-39)

“We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, when we honour the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection.” - Atlas of the Heart

A phrase you may be familiar with hearing is that “We love because God first loved us”. It’s a beautiful expression of God loving us as our authentic selves, and us receiving that Love. Then, we extend that Love to others and give Love back to God. We also receive God’s love from others as we accept their loving kindness as others also made in the image of God.

Love is a beautiful, unending expression that flows all around us. It’s communal, honest, and a gift from God. (See 1 John 4:19)

Reflect on Love
Today, take some time to reflect on love, and chat with God about what it’s like for you to consider love here and now…

You may have heard this common idea that ‘happiness is from the world, but JOY is from God’ often said to mean ‘we can be joyful no matter the circumstance, because we have Jesus’, but allow me to expand on Joy on this third Sunday of Advent...

From Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown: "Joy is the most vulnerable human emotion. The greek word for Joy is Chairo: described as the 'the culmination of being' and 'the good mood of the soul'. It is found only in God and comes with virtue and wisdom. It isn’t a beginners virtue, it comes as the culmination.”

Reflect on Joy
Today, take some time to reflect on joy, and chat with God about what it’s like for you to consider joy here and now…

Our good friend, The Dictionary, defines peace as a state of tranquility or quiet such as: freedom from civil disturbances, a state of security by law or custom, harmony in personal relationships, freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotion.

Peace as Shalom or Eirene as used in the old and new testament respectively, mean that life is complex, full of moving parts, relationships and situations, and when any of these is out of alignment or missing, your peace breaks down. Life is no longer whole, it needs to be restored to wholeness or completeness. 

When Jesus arrives on the scene, we see His story play out as a way of saying there is wholeness here between us, there is connection, there is restoration of relationship, we are connected. With the Spirit, we become peacemakers where the peace within us overflows into how we restore peace in the world. We see that peace in this life is ACTIVE, not avoidant. It brings us towards each other, towards injustice, to be peacemakers.

Reflect on Peace
Today, take some time to reflect on peace, and chat with God about what it’s like for you to consider peace here and now…

The classic definition of hope is: 'a desire accompanied by expectation or belief in fulfillment.'

Diving deeper, I discovered through the work of Brené Brown in Atlas of the Heart that hope is a function of struggle.

“HOPE is the conviction, against all data, that GOD is tenacious and persistent in overcoming the deathliness of the world, that GOD intends Joy and Peace.” -Richard Rohr

The quote by Richard Rohr talks about Hope as the conviction that God will overcome the deathliness of the world and that God intends Joy and Peace (two other themes we'll look at this advent). It's in this 'deathliness' of the world where we develop hope. During times of adversity and discomfort, pain and struggle, hope is learned.

Reflect on Hope
Today, take some time to reflect on hope, and chat with God about what it’s like for you to consider hope here and now…