Christmas Love: Frosty the Snowman

Matthew 1:18-25 CEB
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:
                         Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,
                                         And they will call him, Emmanuel.
                                         (Emmanuel means “God with us.”)
When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

Oh my, it's the fourth week of Advent already? Where has the time gone. Advent is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Each Sunday has it's own theme to focus on. The themes are Hope, Peace, Joy & Love. Finally, after weeks of meditations we are near the end. Today we talk about love.

What is there to say about love that hasn't already been said? Even I feel like I am sometimes beating a dead horse when I want to talk about the subject. I am sure we could all Google 'love' and find a wide range of discussions on the subject ranging from Christian to 'get your kids out of the room, that's not what I meant to Google.' 

Today, I think there is space to talk about love as the act of giving up power. Both Frosty and Joseph show what love is through this loss of power. For Frosty, most of the journey didn't need Karen accompanying him. His survival was hindered by her presence. Think about it: If she had stayed at the train station, and never joined Frosty on his trip to the North Pole, what would have happened? Frosty would have taken the train all the way to the North Pole. With Karen, Frosty is given, on two occasions, an opportunity to be selfish or selfless.  In both cases Frosty puts Karen's needs above his own and shows what selfless love looks like.

Joseph, as well, was given an opportunity to be selfish or selfless. His actions following the visit from the angel, was completely counter-productive to his place in society. As I mentioned last week, quietly divorcing Mary might have been better than being stoned to death, but it would have left Mary an outcast with a child for the rest of her life. It would have socially hindered Joseph to stay with Mary. He gave up power for the sake of love.

This is where we are today. Are we willing to sacrifice, even a little, for the sake of love? I am reminded of a blog I read months ago and was inspired to respond to:
http://thecrookedmouth.com/myth-of-extending-the-table/
http://www.figtreechristian.org/1/post/2013/07/and-then-jesus-took-bread.html
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has communion every time they gather as a worshipping body. Anderson Campbell hit the nail on the head. Every time we sit at the table we have a hierarchy, whether spoken or not. The point is, love is not easy. Love requires sacrifice from all sides. We want love that doesn't hurt or require us to change but that kind of love just doesn't exist. It never has. Jesus showed us sacrificial love to an extreme. We will get to during Lent. So we end Advent with the promise of love. What should you do with this? Our world is a fractured mess. Find someone to connect with and sacrifice for. Reconnect love this Christmas season.

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This is the conclusion to an ongoing series on Advent. 
Advent Goes to the Movies
Christmas Hope: It's a Wonderful Life
Christmas Peace: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Christmas Joy: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

There will be no meditation next Thursday. Enjoy your Christmas and see you again in the new year!