over two thousand years ago, a baby was born to a poor refugee family in exile. this baby would grow into a man who embodied Love so completely that he was willing to offer his life over to wherever that Love led, even to death.

his message and emphasis of a life lived in service to love, upset the status quo. he prioritized loving people over tradition and rules. he met people where they were and loved them. he stood with the marginalized. he preached serving the needy and feeding the hungry, turning the other cheek and loving our enemies. he warned against obsessive wealth and greed. he cautioned against indebting others, and instead preached the alternative: forgiveness.

he taught that this was the way to know God’s heart, that such love saves us. a transformative message!

he taught from the bottom; he taught vulnerability. he taught that true power, transformative power, is paradoxically found in powerlessness.

unfortunately vulnerability and powerlessness, and loving our enemies just doesn’t fit nicely into our dualistic, hero narratives.

dying to ourselves, allowing us to be brought to new life through love, is scary. it’s easier to state a few beliefs and keep the status quo rather than surrendering to such transformation.

his words (and call), “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” echos through our world unanswered. 

i sometimes wonder how our world would be now, if following Jesus’ teachings and living his message were emphasized rather than just worshipping him. 

we work hard at not loving, and even worse, many take Jesus’ message of love and weaponize it, oppressing others. 

“Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace…”

May it be so. May hearts open to the love and wisdom Jesus preached, not just on Christmas, but every day.

Merry Christmas to you, my friends. May your lives be blessed.

~j

⭕️♥️🙏🏼

#Christmas #GoodNews #Jesus #JesusChrist #Love #Peace #Forgiveness #Service #OpenHeart #Wisdom #JinpaLhaga #JMWart #art