Advent Musing: LOVE

Image by Soojin Hyun

Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-16, NRSV

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,

"Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."

But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test."

Then Isaiah said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals that you weary my God also?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.

He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.

For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

Advent Musing: LOVE

by Rev. Sungrae Kim

During Advent, we often hear the most familiar words about love - yet recognizing love is not always simple. How do you know if someone loves you? What is the indicator you recognize that your spouse or partner is in love with you? How does your parent or guardian express their love for you? Is the sign conspicuous or subtle?

In my childhood, I remember having to decipher my father’s love, which was expressed in many indirect ways. For a season, he worked from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to support our family. I saw him only briefly in the mornings, as he returned home after I had already gone to bed. Only years later did I realize that his absence was not a lack of love, but devotion expressed in a language I could not yet understand.

How do you show your love to your children, pets, or relatives? Do you have particular signs, symbols, or gestures you use to convey your deep feelings of love to others? How often do you think that love is received in the way you intended? How many times has it been misinterpreted or misunderstood - and why do you think that happened?

There is a book I always recommend for premarital counseling whenever I’m asked to officiate a wedding: The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman. Soojin and I read it together when we got married, and we found it especially helpful during our first year of living together as we navigated our significantly different life patterns.

In a nutshell, the author suggests that there are five distinct love languages: Acts of Service, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, and Receiving Gifts. Understand how you and your partner express love - and learning to speak the language the other person understands - can be crucial for a lasting relationship.

For example, my primary love languages are Words of Affirmation and Physical Touch. I feel loved when someone says encouraging things to me and gives me a hug. Soojin understands this, and when she hears my sigh of stress, she gives me a bear hug and tells me I’m doing well—even though this does not come naturally to her. She is a tough grader, and you can’t impress her easily. Still, I am grateful that she makes the effort to speak my language, even though her encouraging words sound as though they were crafted by an AI. What matters most for me is her willingness to express love in a way that does not come easily to her.

So how does God speak the Creator’s love language to us? I am sure God knows all five love languages, since we are created in the image of God. Yet in today’s Scripture passage, the prophet Isaiah assures King Ahaz that God’s primary love language is Immanuel—faithful presence in times of fear.

This encounter between the prophet Isaiah and King Ahaz takes place in the 8th century BCE, when Judah was caught in a regional crisis. The Assyrian Empire was rising as a dominant superpower. In response, Aram and the northern kingdom of Israel formed an anti-Assyrian coalition and attempted to force Judah to join them. When King Ahaz refused and instead attempted to appeal to Assyria for protection, they threatened invasion and regime change. This caused “the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people [to] shake as the trees of the forest shake before the wind” (Isaiah 7:2).

In this situation, the prophet delivers the word of God to a king who is gripped by fear of losing his throne and his kingdom. Isaiah says, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God.” He urges the king to ask for a sign of God’s love and assurance to overcome his fear. Ahaz refuses, claiming that he would not dare to put the LORD to the test. Although this sounds pious, it is false humility; he does not want a sign because he has already decided. He does not want anything that might disrupt his political calculations.

Nevertheless, the prophet delivers God’s message about the sign. Biblical scholars explain that this message is not a distant messianic oracle but a near-term sign. A child will be born, and his name will be called Immanuel—“God with us.” Before the child matures, the threatening kings will be gone. The promise is clear: God will remain present with the troubled and fearful people.

What is most interesting about this prophecy to me is that God’s love is not expressed through a display of overwhelming power - no heavenly armies or fiery chariots - but through the vulnerability of an infant held in a young mother’s arms. How could such a sign possibly alleviate fear for the king and the people facing imminent invasion?

Isaiah speaks of love not as temporary comfort, but as faithful togetherness in a world ruled by fear. Immanuel is God’s covenantal love language: “I will remain with you in your fear, I will wait for you in your despair, and I will walk with you toward healing and reconciliation.” This image of God contrasts sharply with the God who delivered Israel from Egypt with mighty powers and miracles. Here, God’s sign of love is not dominance, but presence.

Still, too often we misunderstand God’s love language. When our prayers seem unanswered, when loved ones fall ill, or when life becomes overwhelming, we may begin to doubt even the existence of the Creator. “Why have you forsaken me, if you really love me? Where is the sign that you care?” This, of course, is not a failure of faith; it is often the cry of love under strain. God understands us. The difficulty is that we do not always understand God’s way of loving.

The first Christians believed that Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. They were convinced that he was the ultimate sign of God—Immanuel, God with us. Through his teachings, ministries of healing, and ultimately through carrying the cross to Golgotha, Jesus embodied God’s willingness to be with us in suffering. We welcome Jesus as the Messiah not because he solved all our problems once and for all, but because he knows our pain and chooses to remain with us for love’s sake.

Love, of course, is the most powerful message of Christmas. Hope, peace, joy, and love are all central to this season, yet love is the overarching and undergirding force behind them all. Your loving presence can help others remain hopeful in the midst of darkness. Your loving words can build peace and offer comfort to weary and confused hearts. Your loving embrace can help others overcome fear and discover joy in the presence of God.

As we enter this final week of Advent and celebrate Christmas, may we remember that we are called to be messengers of the love Christ has shown us. That love may be expressed in many different ways, but I believe its essence is faithful, resilient, and persistent togetherness. Let us find ways to be fully present with one another, especially with those who are in need of the reminder of God’s love: our aging parents, little children, or lonely neighbors.

May you all have a blessed Christmas, surrounded by the warmth of God’s love.

Reflection Questions:

1. Is there a word, phrase, or gesture you use to express your love? What signs or actions help you recognize when you are loved by others?

   
   

2. When do you find it difficult to recognize God’s presence? In what moments have you experienced Immanuel—God with us?

   
   

3. How does the image of a vulnerable child as God’s sign of love challenge your understanding of divine power? What does this reveal about how God saves us?

   
   

4. Who in your life most needs a sign of loving presence right now? What might it look like for you to practice Immanuel for that person?

Song of Reflection: Love Drew Near

Words by Iris A. Law

Music by Rev. Sungrae Kim