Season of Love
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Advent 4

“Love never ends.”

Mary = pregnant

Joseph = heart broken? Certainly embarrassed.
Could have ruined Mary.

But being RIGHTEOUS (just, fair, merciful) he didn’t want to expose her to disgrace.

Women had no status apart from a man…she could have been left destitute and without any legal protections or social advantages. People in such circumstances were often reduced to begging, or prostitution, some were killed outright. He didn’t want to leave her that vulnerable even though it appeared as if she had betrayed him.

Love doesn’t rejoice in wrongs. Loves hopes all things, bears all things. Love never ends.

Joseph had a dream wherein the angel of God (the messenger of love) tells Joseph: DO NOT BE AFRAID.

Love casts out fear.
FEAR = Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise Love’s message was don’t be afraid; Face Everything And Rise

Freda Smith = resolving problems:
Find it
Face it
Fix it
Finish it
Forget it

Do not be afraid.
Find the truth.
Face the difficulty.
Fix what you can.
Finish your part.
And then move forward.

God is love, and love never ends.
God’s angel, Love’s messenger didn’t say hate Mary, or condemn her, or shame her, or abandon her, or threaten her…
Love said don’t be afraid of your love.
Don’t be afraid to be kind, generous, forgiving.
Don’t be afraid to love.

And so Joseph took Mary in.
He gave her a husband, a family, a home.
And he gave her child a name, a future.
In Joseph’s story, Love Wins.

If religion condemned you, rejected you, vilified you, demonized you, or dehumanized you…religion was misused. The angel of God is a messenger of love, and Love’s messenger says don’t be afraid to love! Don’t be afraid to show compassion, kindness, welcome, generosity, and mercy. Love says see the light in every person. Love says you are God’s miracle and not God’s mistake.

We are entering a Season of Love…let yourself know that you are, just as you are, lovable and you have love to give. Do not be afraid. God’s love never ends.

To celebrate the season of love, I want to share a song about a special kind of love for one of God’s creatures. Maestra, if you please.

“I want a hippopotamus for xmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don’t want a doll, no dinky tinker toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy.

“I want a hippopotamus for xmas
I don’t think Santa Claus will mind do you?
He won’t have to use the dirty chimney flue Just bring him through the front door that’s an easy thing to do.

“I can see me now on xmas morning creeping don the stairs Oh what joy and what surprise when i open up my eyes And see a hippo hero standing there

“I want a hippopotamus for xmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuseses like me too
And hippopotamuseses like me too”

This is a season of love.
In God, every season is a season of love.
And this is the good news. Amen.

Divine Love,
Fill my heart,
And heal it.
Alleluia!
Amen.