December 22, 2002

Are you adding final touches to your Christmas decorations? With today's Scriptures, the Advent carol "People Look East" invites us to get our houses ready for the dawning of divine love and to sing of the faithfulness of our God. "People, look East, and sing today". Love, the Guest is on the way.

In these last few days before Christmas, most of us will make our house fair as we are able, trim the hearth and also set the table and make sure everything is ready for Christmas. We even trim the outside of our homes. On the evening news we see houses and yards covered with Christmas lights. And then there are the houses simply lit with a single white candle in every window.

What is all this decorating about? Today's Scriptures remind us that we truly have something to celebrate and someone to welcome. God faithfully fulfilled the promises made long ago in Jesus' conception and birth. In Jesus, the Spirit of Good took up residence not just once in a young girl's womb, but in human history for all time. Divine love dawned for all humanity, never to set again.

"People look East and sing today!" sings the Advent carol. We are to welcome the dawning of the Messiah's reign by giving God "glory forever and ever". It is not enough to make ready our houses or even our hearts. We must make our world "fair as we are able." A place that reveals the mystery of God's faithful love for all humanity.

SO THE QUESTION: WHAT DO CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS MEAN TO YOU AND HOW DO YOU EXPERIENCE GOD'S FAITHFUL LOVE?

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