The Muppets, the Incarnation, and the Ways of Love

A Theological Reflection on A Christmas Carol

If you watched my Beauty of Story video, you might have picked up on my passion for Charles Dicken's story, A Christmas Carol. It is truly one of my favorite stories because of Scrooge's redemption arc and cozy, Christmas setting. (I do really love Christmas. Not quite at Buddy the Elf level, but it is tied with Holy Week/Easter for my favorite liturgical season.) Recently, my family watched The Muppets' Christmas Carol and there was one lyric from the ghost of Christmas Present's song, It Feels Like Christmas that stood out to me. They describe Christmas as a time, "the ways of love made clear". That phrase has been rolling around in my mind and I think the implications are more true than the songwriter probably realized.

"Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins." -1 John 4:8-10

If God is love, the series of events that kick off at Christmas show us what it means to truly love. Christmas is the celebration of God taking on human flesh and being born among us. God transcends Himself, becomes a creature, then lives a human life, dies a horrible death, then rises from the dead, all so that He can return our nature to Heaven, so we can have the hope to be with Him and to be like Him. By His coming, we no longer have to be slaves to sin and death. He has set us free.

And friends, is this not the way of love? Often we get so used to counterfeit ideas of love that we doubt the real thing could possibly exist, but Jesus proves definitively that it does. The way of love is to go all in for the beloved. Love holds back no part of itself, it is willing to go to any length, to give even its very life for the one it loves. At Christmas, we see clearly that God has emptied Himself completely, becoming poor and lowly all to give us abundant life. We see the fulfillment on the cross where Christ has completely emptied Himself of everything, even His life.

The way of love is also to diffuse itself. Love is also not a static thing. It doesn't only exist between the lover and the beloved, but spills over to enrich others. That is why this season is often associated with goodwill and generosity. Love spills over so that it can be shared by all and is not diminished by being shared. This is what Ebenezer Scrooge learns in the story- the more you share, the more you have. God has shared Himself so completely with us that in turn, the love we receive from Him should flow out of us to others. St. John continues in his letter:

"Beloved, if god so loved us, we must also love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us." - 1 John 4:11-12

This is precisely the fruit of Christmas. We experience the love God has for us. We see just how far He would go to save us. Then, after receiving such boundless love, we turn and show love to others. This eternal cycle of love is beautiful. Goodness and virtue flourish. Peace and justice are born in the world. Joy and gratitude come to full flowering. Is this not what the prophets of the Old Testament predicted would happen when the Messiah appeared? Then, let us also learn the ways of love and so be truly changed by the miracle of Christmas. It is very true then, that "wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas".

Want to watch the song? Enjoy!

Merry Christmas, dear friends! Wishing you all the peace and joy of Christ this season.

Love,

Claire