“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT “
by Rebekah Baggs
One of my favorite movies of all time, the sci-fi Interstellar, centers around the story of a father and his young daughter living during a time when Earth is essentially dying. The father works with NASA as one of the last pioneering astronauts to leave and hopefully discover a planet that can continue to sustain human life. In this story, quantum physics opens doors to multiple universes—where an hour on a faraway planet equals tens of years back on Earth and despite voyaging adventures across time, space, and gravity—the only constant, perceivable force is love. After a series of mishaps, the father finds himself lost at the edge of some distant galaxy. Ultimately, love ends up being the only thing powerful enough to help him find his way back, a rope that guides him out of the depths of the universe. It’s a poignant ending, but the idea of love being a force that transcends space and time is hope-giving, if not downright thrilling.
At its heart, Interstellar is a love story. Not in the typical sense, but of the love between a father and his child, and of the power of a love that is stronger than death itself. Despite all the unlikely aspects of science fiction, the idea that love is enduring and a verifiable force of physics rings true.
Perhaps, this is because aspects of this story, like most good stories, are imprinted on who we are. We are designed to biologically respond to love stories like this, to feel their pull, because they take a page from the greatest love story of all—the love of God for us and the greatest rescue plan ever executed.
Love, after all, is the reason Christmas even exists. Much more than just a feeling, a posture of the heart, or a verb—it makes sense that love itself could be woven into the fabric of our existence.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus is God’s love embodied and the ultimate sacrifice. The mystery of love made flesh and blood and manifested in a way we can all experience.
So in this season full of business and merriment, as you prepare your heart for the arrival of Christmas day, remember this is a time to celebrate the love of God for his children. Pause here for a moment and think about what that means:
Love is the reason for Christmas.
Love is the reason for peace.
Love is the reason for joy.
Love is the reason for hope.
Love is the reason for Jesus.
Love is the reason for you—and you are an expression of God’s most intimate love.
Like a tether that keeps you from falling too far, love is the voice that calls to you, time and time again, “Come home, beloved. I am your God and you were made to be loved by me.”