By Ken Newbold, provost

Scripture: Luke 1:39-45 (NRSV)

Love is a simple four-letter word that serves as the foundation of Christ’s teaching, but is often forgotten in our daily lives. Jesus spoke of the importance of loving one another but also provided living examples of how we are to treat each other, not only in the season of Advent but throughout our interactions. In Luke’s gospel, we are provided an illustration of Mary’s love and trust in God in Spirit as she visits Elizabeth.

This passage raises important questions during the Advent season as we await with great anticipation the celebration of the birth of Christ. What are we doing to live the teachings of Jesus to love one another? Are we too busy worried with the materialism of our modern world and consumerism to reflect on the real meaning of the season? Can we make an extra effort in our lives to reach out to someone in need?

Our world provides many examples of injustice and persecution, but as followers of Christ we are called to be humble servants. The Beatitudes offer guidance on our path to Heaven and here Luke reminds us to lift up the lowly and to show mercy. We are challenged by these words to follow God’s love for us in this passage from Luke to be instruments of peace by allowing the Spirit to guide us. In an increasingly crowded and noisy world, we can show our love for each other through simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity. In these final days before Christmas, we should all look to extend love and grace for each other in bringing peace on earth.

Scripture: Luke 1:39-45 (NRSV)

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”