That dizzying, inevitable, crystallized moment when there’s nothing else for you but Love. Passionate, compelling, unrelenting and unrestrained Love. Not the brand you’ve been sold in every way conceivable—from billboards to the airwaves—no, I write about a Love that’s much more subtle. It whispers in the streets amidst speeding cars and chirping mobiles. It speaks a language foreign to our ears—uttered in a tone so beautiful it has the power to revolutionize hearts and minds in the breadth of a moment. I don’t want to confuse you; this is not some whimsical fairy-tale Love, aimed at thickening your wallet and boosting your popularity. This love of which I write is the Love of Jesus Christ—the great I AM—Creator, Savior, and Lord over heaven and earth alike. But this love is not extended free of charge. Let me rephrase that. His love is a gift that anyone can receive, and it is freely given, but to accept it is to surrender to it completely. For to know this Love is to give it.

But this love is not something to merely be mentioned. It is not a spiritual bandwagon. The Love He gives is consuming. If your most beloved were to lay down their life—to be beaten, bruised, and tortured unto death—would it not move you? Would you not tell of their sacrifice and seek justice for the crime? A day would not pass without their sacrifice burning up your heart and mind. And your love for the ones you love most are to appear as hatred when compared to your love for Jesus—the One who did lay down His life for you (Luke 14:26). That’s right—passionate and deep-running love.

Every praise song you breathe is a love song to Him. When I write love songs and sing them to my significant other, would I interrupt myself periodically to tell a joke or inquire as to where she wanted to eat lunch that afternoon? What a ridiculous thought. So how can we act that way in regard to Jesus?

In a big way I think many of us have lost sight of the Love we have for Him. That first moment when you felt the depth of His Love has been forgotten in a sea of media. We forget Him although he surrounds us in countless ways throughout every day—the honesty of a friend, or the selflessness of a stranger. Joy, peace, kindness, and love—these are merely symptoms of who God himself is. And he Loved us before we even existed, in a way and depth that is truly a mystery to grasp. How can we not love Him in return?

I love Christmastime. I love the traditions, the food, the bulky sweaters, the red cups at Starbucks, the lights in downtown Rochester. I enjoy watching as many Christmas movies as possible, beginning with Elf and Home Alone, and working my way backward to the old holiday classics. Holiday Inn, White Christmas (my wife’s favorite), The Bishop’s Wife, and Miracle on 34th Street all get watched in our house as we hang decorations and pick up needles. But there is one movie that stands out as not only my favorite Christmas film, but also as my all time favorite regardless of genre. It’s a Wonderful Life has been choking me up since early elementary years, and it has etched a deep place into my heart in my adult years – ever since Christmas of 1998.
I was working at Circuit City, as a Audio/Video Sales “Counselor”, and I was having one of the greatest Decembers on record for a salesman. I had worked over 80 hours in the week leading up to Christmas Eve, and was scheduled to leave at noon so that I could make it to Cleveland by that evening to spend time with my family who had driven to my sister’s home. As I tended to the needs of last minute shoppers, the time started to slip away. Each time I tried to get out the door, the manager would hand me another customer to sell. As I closed theses last second deals, I kept noticing other guys in my department leaving to go home early and before long I was the only one left. I was stuck. I even had to help close down the store. By the time I finally waded through the slushy parking lot to my car, it was past 5pm. Cleveland was a 7 hour drive from where I lived in Scranton, Pennsylvania and I still had to run some last second errands of my own.
I’ll never forget the moment that I made the call. It was about 8:30pm on Christmas Eve and I was standing in my parent’s home, which had no decorations up at all because they had just placed it on the market to sell in preparation for their move to Tennessee. I had to tell my family that I wasn’t making it to Cleveland for Christmas.
Home alone.
I desperately searched for some sort of a decoration, and found one of those 12 inch trees with the lights on it and the burlap bag base and plugged it in. I made myself some hot chocolate and ate toast (they were on vacation so the cupboards were pretty barren). Then I sat down on the couch and popped in my favorite Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. As I watched it this time, the story resonated in a way that it never had before. I had never felt so alone, and introspective thoughts began to overwhelm me. Then Harry Bailey arrived at the spontaneous Bailey Rally in front of the Christmas tree and Zuzu’s Petals and offered the toast, “To George Bailey, the richest man in town!”, and I lost it.
Completely and utterly lost it.
I bawled. Audibly sobbing. I had the biggest, longest, messiest cry of my 21 year existence. I even stood in front of the mirror and watched myself cry. It was a very weird hour.
Fast forward one year. Christmas 1999. I am now engaged to Angela Marie Holdridge, and am sitting in her parent’s living room sharing about what God had done in our lives over the past year. When it came time for me to share, the tears came back… My lip was quivering. My words failed. My tears streamed boldly in front of a stunned family.
I was reflecting on a stunning transformation. I was now surrounded by the woman I loved, a family that welcomed me with open arms and a tissue box, and the searing knowledge of God’s generosity. This led me to a different type of introspection. This time it wasn’t about what I was missing, but about what God had given me. As I fumbled my way through an emotional testimony, I reached in my pocket to see if maybe just maybe, I might find Zuzu’s petals.
I will never forget Christmas of 1998. Home alone – but not for long. I would encourage all of us to reflect on the gifts of God in our lives this year. He is so good.

How many of you have ever been job searching and the employers all require experience that you can’t get ‘cause they won’t give you a job? What’s the solution? I asked myself, ‘do I have to be an unpaid intern or volunteer my time to get this experience?’ What about the college experience and the piece of paper that came of it? Was that all for naught? Of course it wasn’t, but this logic often surfaces in reference to thoughts about Christian faith. We can’t use the Bible to prove God exists to those who don’t believe in the Bible in the same way we can’t prove to a company that we’re capable of doing the job offered by showing them our diploma. They might not believe in our diploma; they want to see our abilities in a tangible environment.

So where do we as Christians start with non-believers? Can we really just point to verses that we hold to be true?

In Acts 2:38,39 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” NIV

This verse speaks straight to us, but how do we explain these concepts of sin and repentance to someone who believes that this life is all there is and our bodies on earth are all we are…no soul, no afterlife? They believe the Bible is manmade, or equally disheartening, that God is manmade. There is a fundamental need to show the world that our lives are full of the Holy Spirit who infiltrates our being. How has it changed your life and your heart? How has it curbed your tendencies towards sin?

Corporations today need to see your experience in the work place, just like non-Christians need to see your experiences with the Lord. It is not enough to claim with our lips, instead we must show it with our bodies and minds. They want experience…show them experience.

So I ask, are you experiencing God working in your life? Are you conversing with Him and listening to what He has to say to you? I pray that you are and that you are not just holding that ‘diploma’ you received at age 5 hoping that it’ll be enough to get you into heaven.

Kneeling at God’s throne above,
My tears are streaming down with love
Asking God “what have I done?”
Pleading mercy from the Son

Why do I fall, O God on high?
Do you hear my desperate cry?
Patiently I wait for You,
Ready, willing, make me new

Time and time I fall down,
Heavy shadows on the ground
Stumbling as I try to stand,
Reaching up for Christ’s hand

Why do I fall, O God on high?
Do you hear my desperate cry?
Patiently I wait for You,
Ready, willing, make me new

Grasping tightly I stand up,
Quenching thirst from the cup
Loving Father be my guide,
Strike and crush all my pride

Why do I fall, O God on high?
Do you hear my desperate cry?
Patiently I wait for You,
Ready, willing, make me new

Holy Spirit, Faithful One,
Quickly to you I will run
As storms arise all around,
In your arms may I be found

Why do I fall, O God on high?
Do you hear my desperate cry?
Patiently I wait for You,
Ready, willing, make me new
Ready, willing, make me new