January 12, 2025
Baptism of the Lord

“Will you travel by the light of the babe new born?"

Isaiah 43: 1-7
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

I have called you by name; you are mine …
you are precious in my sight and honored and I love you (Isaiah 43:1, 3)

We kick off the New Year this week with a luminous poem depicting God head over heels in love with us. The imagery in this poem sounds like the kind of fresh young love that you see in a Christmas rom com, where the lovers can’t think of anyone else; can’t imagine being with anyone else; can’t imagine any task too daunting to prove their love to each other. Or maybe it sounds like the love of an awestruck parent cooing over their new baby: “I love you to the moon and back.”

I remember feeling like that … both about my own young loves, and about my infants! I hope Mary and Joe felt that way about each other once; they certainly felt that way about their own infant. But I’ve never really considered that God might feel like that too.

When I imagine the love of God, I tend towards more “mature” – or at least formalized – ways of thinking about the love of a powerful monarch. I hope Donald Trump was sincere when he said this week “I love Canada,” for example, but that’s a kind of “love” that comes with strings attached. Trudeau said as he resigned this week that he had always acted out of a love of Canada, and I’m willing to take his statement seriously too. But a politician’s love for Canada is nothing like the love that Isaiah describes here. Unlike with Donald Trump’s statement, there is no “but” after the declaration of love. Trump said, “I love Canada, but …” God doesn’t add in any “buts” here. This is simply an all out, no-holds-barred declaration of affection and adoration. This is a God who sees all our faults; who sees our imperfections and warts and shortcomings – probably more clearly that we see them ourselves! And yet is willing to say “You are precious in my sight … and I love you.” Could anything be more empowering?

That kind of love drives parents to amazing heights of sacrifice. Many parents in our congregation have travelled halfway around the world so that their kids would have a better life … that’s not unusual or surprising. It’s just what parents do!

That kind of love is the foundation for a child’s healthy development too. None of us is ever surrounded by perfect love from our parents, of course. All parents fall short in one way or another. But when kids know they are loved, they thrive. When they know that Mom or Dad has their back, they’re willing to risk. When they know they can rely on a safety net, they have the confidence to develop into compassionate and productive adults. When kids know they are precious in someone’s sight, they can become all they were meant to be, and learn how to become wise and fierce lovers themselves. And when kids can’t grow up surrounded by that, they become stunted, angry and violent.

As we start a New Year; as we evaluate and try to live into all those “resolutions” and “new beginnings” we always seem to make in January; as we try to live in the light of the hope that we celebrated at Christmas – always remember that our life together is grounded in love like that. Not in obligation. Not in demands. Not in guilt, or ultimatums to live up to impossible ideals. Before God asks anything of us, God loves us. Before we can do anything at all, we are precious. Before we have the capacity to contribute to society or God’s creation, and regardless of whatever we might subsequently do or fail to do, we are treasured. That’s where God starts. That’s where this new year starts. That’s where Jesus’ ministry starts. That’s the foundation of our lives, and the ground of our being.

Join us on Sunday as we wonder at how the love of God empowers and emboldens us to become all we were meant to be.