As we celebrate Advent and Christmas, we're fully aware of where God's love is leading us.
The love might begin in the softly starlit manger, but it inevitably will lead to the harsh noonday sun reflecting on the Cross. God knows this, of course, but does not shy away from the pain that is coming. God's extravagant love is demonstrated in God's willingness to give sacrificially.
God bestows the most precious gift, God's Son, knowing that this offering will not be appreciated, honored, or at times, even recognized. Yet God also sings, "can't regret what I did for love," as this love which is freely given is leading God's beloved children home.
The price is great, almost beyond measure. The gift of Christmas is that God looks at the cost without blinking. God does indeed care enough to send the very best. The best is the gift of Christ, this bundle of love wrapped in cloths hastily assembled in the lowliest of birth places. It's the gift --
