Fourth Sunday of Advent: Love

Love provides the cornerstone for our lives. It’s so fundamental to human needs that infants die if they don’t receive it. According to Dr. Pam King, the ultimate purpose of human development is for humans to become reciprocating selves, capable of deep relationships and love. Healthy spirituality is based in love and helps us develop the necessary capacities to forgive and offer more love to others, even when we feel hurt or harmed. So, it’s fitting that during fourth week of Advent we focus on love. Many of us struggle with believing that we are worthy of love, whether because of our early relationships or trauma, but believing in a loving God can be very helpful in understanding ourselves as beloved. The Christmas story of God becoming man is a story of love. He loved us so much that he became one of us.

The fourth candle of the Advent wreath symbolizes “peace on earth and goodwill toward men” and is called the Angels’ candle. In the story of Christ’s birth, the angels brought tidings of great joy to the shepherds watching over their flocks at night. They announced God’s profoundly loving act in the form of a newborn baby.

Why is love the fourth Sunday in Advent?

The Advent theme of love represents God’s ultimate act of love by sending his son to Earth. Christmas is about God’s love for us and God’s motivations in sending Christ to be among us. The final week of Advent asks us to focus on God’s love for us, consider what it means for us to love God, and guides our responsibility as Christians to offer love to others.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” –1 John 4:7–8

The Weeks of Advent

The Sundays of Advent have powerful themes for reflection. They are aspirational and operational. We can choose to engage in practices that help us becoming more loving – practices that help us to regulate our emotions or engage in loving and charitable acts. We can spend time in prayer or with nature or beauty to expand our experiences with transcendent love. We can deeply reflect on the stories we tell ourselves about our lives and whether those stories help us to become more loving people. Also, during Advent, we pursue joy and practice engaging joyfully with others by becoming more present and connecting to what matters most. The story of Christmas offers hope, and we can engage hopefully to make the world a better place. We have the power to contribute to a more peaceful world, but we have to start with ourselves. Each week of Advent provides an opportunity to engage these themes in our prayers, practices, and daily lives.  

• The First Sunday of Advent – Hope
• The Second Sunday of Advent – Peace
• The Third Sunday of Advent – Joy
• The Fourth Sunday of Advent – Love

Reflection: Advent Love

• Where are you seeking love this Advent season? 
• What beliefs support loving thoughts and feelings?
• What habits will help you practice and grow the capacities to give and receive love?
• What active steps can you take to offer more love to others?