His law is love and His gospel is peace

Last night, the evening service at Woodvale was a carol service. The church was dimly lit and candles sat on each window ledge. I'll admit that, up until this point, it didn't feel like Christmas here. Santa sat in store windows, mannequins wore snowflake covered scarves and jumpers, and the busyness of City Centre all pointed towards the holiday season, but I didn't feel it. There isn't snow on the ground. Some sits on Cave Hill, but it's not accumulating. It's not Wyoming/Colorado and that's about all I've ever known for Christmas.

But last night was perfect. And Christmas hit me when we started to sing "Silent Night." The ambiance that surrounded us was exactly that which is Christmas to me. It made me think of all the Christmas Eve services I've been to that have closed with the famous carol and each person holding a lit candle. It made me realize that Christmas comes to Belfast the same way it does Wyoming. And it made me so happy to be celebrating Christmas here with our new families: two new church families and a new family of friends in that lovely thing we call the YAV community.

As if the night couldn't have been more perfect, we followed "Silent Night" up with "O Holy Night." I think my favorite line from any Christmas song comes from this carol. By the title of the blog post, I'm sure you've guessed what that line is, but I'll still tell you because it's worth repeating over and over. His law is love and His gospel is peace. What wonderful things we find in Jesus Christ, love and peace, and what better time of year to celebrate those than right now as we celebrate His coming to teach us that love and peace.

Earlier this week, I witnessed a two year old abide perfectly by this law of love and seek peace for a friend. Now, before I tell you about that, note that you will likely hear me tell this story more than just once if we see you after this year. I think I will forever link my YAV year with this story.

Wednesday, at the 174 Trust parent/toddler group, Jacob (whom I've mentioned on here before) was having a tough day. He came with Patrick and Patrick's mother because his mother was away with Jacob's older siblings at a pantomime. And I think Jacob really missed her. He's not one to seek attention and I don't believe he likes others to feel sorry for him so he showed no outward signs of this distress aside from wandering around the hall not knowing what to do and seeming disengaged from anything or anyone. I tried to perk him up and get him over to the tricycle he likes to have me push him around on since his feet don't reach the pedals. When we got to the tricycle, Jacob put his arms on the seat and then buried his face in his hands. I picked him up to comfort him and see what was wrong and if there was anything that could be done. There didn't seem to be so we just stood there in the hall together trying to figure things out.

It's fair to mention, at this point, that Patrick was having a rough day as well. He continued to cry off and on, for some reason I didn't know and neither did his mother. As I'm standing in the middle of the hall holding Jacob and trying to comfort him, Patrick walks up to us crying. I look at Jacob and he isn't in tears so I put him down and pick up Patrick. I begin to walk with Patrick back over to his mother who was busy preparing the snacks for the kids so she gave me a look that said something like "You're good with him, you can handle this." It might not have said that, but if it didn't, I like to pretend it did.

Patrick and I sat down on the steps and I tried to calm him down and see what was wrong. He was starting to lighten up a little when Jacob walked back over to us with Lightning McQueen in hand. Now, the Lightning McQueen car is one of the most treasured toys at the 174 parent/toddler group. All of the boys love it. It's the only toy I've seen Jacob even get a little defensive over. Despite the popularity of the toy or maybe because of it, Jacob handed the toy to Patrick and sat down next to him. Patrick took the toy and began racing it all over the steps and the wall. He was happy again and because of this, Jacob was, too, as I could tell by the newly spread smile on his face.

I was floored by this whole scene. I couldn't do anything to really cheer these boys up and then one act of sacrificial love by one of them worked to make both of them happy. Talk about a great sermon illustration! What Jacob did was truly give Patrick the most sacrificial gift that his two-year-old self could have. In Jacob's world, I don't believe anything could top giving your favorite toy to a friend to help cheer them up. There is nothing more he could've done. Had Patrick not cheered up because of this gesture, I think Jacob would've been shocked. But it all worked, as it almost always seems to when we give sacrifical gifts.

This holiday season, let's strive to give the kind of gifts that make all the difference in the world while keeping in mind that we received the gift of love and a gospel of peace on that first Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone! It really is and is going to be!