Love Has Arrived

There's something profound that happens when we truly understand what Christmas represents. Beyond the twinkling lights, the carefully wrapped presents, and the festive gatherings lies a truth that transforms everything: love doesn't just feel—it moves.

We often confuse the presence of love with the perception of love. You can genuinely care for someone, work hard to show them affection, and still miss the mark entirely. Why? Because love expressed in our own language doesn't always translate to the heart of another. The gift-giver wonders why their expensive presents fall flat. The acts-of-service person can't understand why their hard work goes unnoticed. The one offering words of affirmation feels rejected when their partner craves quality time instead.

This disconnect reveals something crucial: love that stays locked in our hearts, expressed only in ways comfortable to us, never truly reaches its destination. Real love requires something more—it requires movement.

Love Leaves the Comfort Zone

The Christmas story in Luke chapter one gives us a beautiful picture of what love in motion looks like. Before the manger scene we're all familiar with, before the angels sang to shepherds, before wise men followed a star, there was a young woman named Mary who received impossible news: she would carry the Savior of the world.

Her response wasn't to isolate herself, protect herself, or demand special treatment. Instead, Mary "got ready and hurried" to visit her relative Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. She moved toward community. She moved toward connection. She carried the Christ within her, and her instinct was to bring that presence to someone else.

This is the first lesson of love: love always moves toward others.

Fear causes us to retreat, to build walls, to create bubbles of safety around ourselves. But love does the opposite. Love crosses distances. Love overcomes discomfort. Love doesn't wait for convenience or perfect conditions. Love takes the first step, even when the journey is uncertain.

Think about what this means in practical terms. The God of the universe could have remained in heaven, sending messages of affection from a safe distance. He could have written declarations of love across the sky or whispered encouragement into troubled hearts. But that's not what happened. Instead, love put on flesh. Love entered the mess. Love showed up at an address.

When Love Arrives, Life Responds

Something extraordinary happened when Mary greeted Elizabeth. Before any explanations were given, before Mary could even share her news, Elizabeth's unborn child—John the Baptist—leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately began declaring blessings over Mary.

This moment reveals a powerful truth: the presence of love produces a reaction before comprehension.

John responded to Jesus before either of them could speak words. The presence of Christ created a physical, undeniable response. This is what authentic love does—it changes atmospheres. It awakens something dormant. It brings life where there was only waiting.

How often do we try to intellectualize our way into faith? We want to understand every detail, answer every question, resolve every doubt before we respond to God's presence. But this story suggests something different. Sometimes we don't need more answers; we need an encounter. Sometimes worship should precede understanding.

When you're facing uncertainty, when you're waiting for breakthrough, when you're desperate for change—maybe what you need isn't another explanation but an encounter with the One who inhabits the praises of His people. Worship in the waiting. Respond to the presence before you fully comprehend the plan.

Love Speaks Blessing, Not Competition

Elizabeth's response to Mary is remarkable. She was an older woman who had been barren for years, finally pregnant with her own miracle child. Yet when Mary arrived carrying the Messiah, Elizabeth didn't respond with jealousy or comparison. Instead, she celebrated: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!"

Love doesn't compete; it celebrates.

In a world obsessed with comparison, where social media feeds our insecurities and competition feels constant, this is revolutionary. Elizabeth could have questioned why Mary received "the greater blessing." She could have diminished Mary's experience to protect her own significance. Instead, she used her voice to affirm what God was doing in someone else's life.

This is what love does. It names the blessing before it's explained. It sees what God is doing and celebrates rather than envies. It recognizes that there's room for everyone in God's plan—your blessing doesn't diminish mine.

The Ultimate Movement of Love

The story doesn't end in Luke chapter one. The love that moved toward Mary in that hillside town would eventually move toward a cross. The baby wrapped in swaddling clothes would one day be wrapped in burial cloths, only to rise again three days later.

This is the heart of Christmas: love didn't arrive to be admired from a distance. Love arrived to be received. Love came close enough to touch, to know, to save.

God's love is never static or theoretical. From Genesis to the incarnation, God's love has always been on the move—moving toward broken people, uncertain situations, and inconvenient places. Moving toward you.

Your Response to Love's Arrival

If love has arrived in your heart, it demands a response from your life. You can't encounter genuine love and remain unchanged. You can't receive grace and stay stagnant.

So the question becomes: How are you moving? Are you reaching toward those who are left out, overlooked, or hurting? Are you celebrating what God is doing in others' lives? Are you allowing the presence of love to awaken something in you that's been dormant too long?

Christmas isn't just about remembering that God loved the world. It's about recognizing that God came to the world—and He's still showing up today. In homes. In hearts. In hard places.

Love has arrived. The only question that remains is: will you receive it, and will you let it move you toward others?