Advent 4 - Love

Before this week is completely gone, a quick post about love. We use this word WAY too flippantly in the 21st century, in my opinion. We use it to describe our feelings on food, politics, clothes, music styles - I could go on for awhile yet! Part of the 'problem' is that English does not have a wide variety of words for this feeling/emotion. We hear a great deal about love at this time of year and for this post I'm going to quote the words of a seldom heard carol. As is the case with many carols and hymns, this one began as a poem, and such beautiful poetry it is!

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Rossetti also wrote the words to another favourite carol of mine, "In the bleak midwinter".