Being God’s Loving Embrace

One of my earliest memories of Christmas is of my grandmother’s visit. She would come on Christmas Eve, spend the night, and celebrate Christmas Day with us. I remember, as Christmas approached, anticipating her visit. What I looked forward to the most was not the candy or the gifts that she would bring, but the hugs and love I would receive.

When she arrived, she hugged each of us as if she had not seen us in years. She would hold us tight and say, “I love you so much.” Which had her hug even tighter. Then she would say, “Oh, you have grown so much. You are almost as tall as I am.” Neither of my brothers nor I, at that time, were near her height, but she made us feeI taller than we were. Through her caring and encouraging embrace she made us feel loved.

Then she would hug my mother and then my father and say something like, “Thank you for taking such good care of my boys. It is so good to see all of you.”

In a home where there was much quarreling, wrestling, and, sometimes, ugly words, her presence, her embrace, her love were transforming acts.

As I have reflected upon those hugs over the years, and more especially this year, I always come to the point of God’s embrace, of God’s hug, which we receive and celebrate at Christmas.

The Christmas story is about God coming to be with us, hugging us, and holding us close while saying, “I love you so much.”

With that in mind, take a moment to read Luke’s Christmas story. Then, sometime this week or even over the next year, make a special effort to make the Christmas story real in the lives of the people around you.

Read Luke 2:1-20

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

⁸ Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, ¹⁹ and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Reflect on Luke 2

The story of a baby being born to humble parents, in a stable in the town of Bethlehem is Luke’s way of showing God’s love for us in a way we can understand. That is the Christmas story, the story of the incarnation of God’s love in human form. 

God comes to embrace us, to hold and hug us at the time we need it and in the way we need it the most. 

With redeeming love, God embraces us in the midst of sin and failure.  God hugs us with forgiving love even with all our hidden thoughts and feelings.  God’s love is greater than misunderstandings and misgivings.   

With accepting love, God embraces us in the midst of our struggles for meaning and purpose.  God’s encouraging love surrounds us even when we feel lonely and disconnected.  God’s love is greater than our isolation and feelings of unworthiness.   

With comforting love, God embraces us in the midst of despair and loss.  God’s caring love embraces when we feel hurt and betrayed.  God’s love is greater than all our feelings of separation due to death or distance.

I have experienced God’s loving embrace in and through the lives of the people around me.  When I have experienced God’s love in my life, I have been more able to reach out and love others the way I have been loved.

Respond to Luke 2

Take time this week to reflect on God’s embrace in your life, and then, make the time to reach out and embrace persons around you.  Embrace them with forgiving love.  Embrace them with encouraging love.  Embrace them with comforting love.  Let God hold them and love them through you.

During World War II, a soldier was concluding his guard duty on Christmas morning.  Over the years, it has been his custom to attend worship in his home church on Christmas Day. But during the war, in the outlying areas of London, he had not found a church open for worship on Christmas Day.

So, he asked several of his buddies if they would walk to the city to find a church open. As they approached the city, they came upon an old gray stone building. The sign over the main entrance read “Queen Anne’s Orphanage.” 

The soldiers decided to knock and see what kind of celebration the children were having inside. One of the caregivers at the orphanage answered the door. She explained that the children were war orphans whose parents had been killed in the bombings.

As the soldiers went inside, they noticed there was no Christmas tree decorated and there were no presents to be opened. So, they decided to stay and greet the children as they got up on that Christmas morning.

As each child came into the room, the soldiers wished them a Merry Christmas, giving them whatever they had in their pockets as gifts. There was a pack of gum, a roll of Life Savers, a nickel, a dime, a pencil, a good luck charm, and other small items. The soldiers gave attention and care to each child.

Then one soldier noticed a little boy standing alone in the corner. He approached the boy and asked, “If you could have anything, what would you want for Christmas?”

There was a moment of silence. Then the boy looked up at the soldier and asked, “Will you hold me?”  The soldier reached out, took the boy in his arms, and held him close.

In Jesus, God comes to embrace us, to hold us close, and to say, “I love you so much,” and “Look at how much you have grown. You are becoming more like I created you to be.” 

So, this week as you reflect upon God’s loving embrace in your life, take time to send a text, an email, a card, make a phone call and express your love and care to someone who has helped you experience God’s love. Reach out and hold someone who needs to be held with words of encouragement and support. Reach out and hug with acts of kindness. And just maybe you will receive the blessing of God’s loving embrace in and through those whom you embrace.

May the joy of Jesus embrace you this Christmas.

Return

Give God thanks for the people you met today. Through whom did you experience God’s embrace? Who did God embrace through you? It is Christmas. How will you become God’s loving embrace in the lives of your family, friends, colleagues, and strangers this week and over the next year? Give God thanks for the opportunities to love others as you have been loved.