Love Has Come (ELW 292)
1 Love has come
—a light in the darkness!
Love shines forth in the Bethlehem skies.
See, all the heaven has come to proclaim it;
hear how their song of joy arises:
Love! Love!
Born unto you, a Savior!
Love! Love!
Glory to God on high.
2 Love is born!
Come, share in wonder.
Love is God now asleep in the hay.
See the glow in the eyes of his mother; what is the name her heart is saying?
Love! Love!
Love is the name she whispers;
Love! Love!
Jesus, Immanuel.
3 Love has come and never will leave us!
Love is life everlasting and free.
Love is Jesus within and among us.
Love is the peace our hearts are seeking.
Love! Love!
Love is the gift of Christmas.
Love! Love!
Praise to you, God on high!
Devotion
One of our newer hymns, this hymn presents for the singer a vision of Christmas through the lens of Love. The hymn contains many of the scenes familiar to other Christmas hymns, but now cast in the repeated and compelling note of “Love.” We sing of Jesus asleep in the manger, but now presented as “Love is God now asleep in the hay.” The dark skies filled with stars and angels become “Love shines forth in the Bethlehem skies.” The hymn also appeals directly to the singer’s heart today, noting that love is “within and among us” and exactly “the peace our hearts are seeking.” More than many this hymn has a way of reminding us that the Love of Christmas covers far more than some days of December and a few days in January. The Love that comes to us at Christmas stays and becomes our daily connection to God’s eternal, unconditional love.
Prayer
God of love, guide us through the remaining days of Christmas and into the light of your eternal love. Amen.