Advent: Love is the Root

Written by Jim Stern

I met with a guy recently who said he uses Claude as his preferred AI. Claude is produced by Anthropic and is marketed as your “thinking partner.”

I had never heard of Claude.

Then there is Grok, ChatGPT, Co-Pilot, and Gemini. There is even an AI called Llama.

If I was in college today, I would take every AI class available. Most conversations I have will include some bit of chat about the impact of AI on industry and life.

Of all the breakthroughs and efficiencies that this new technology has delivered, and will continue to deliver, one thing it will never be able to do is love.

And that is a major problem for us.

For at the root of you, at the absolute foundation of who you are, you were made to be loved and to love. You were made to thrive in healthy relationships with your Creator, yourself, and with others.

There is no technological breakthrough or advancement, no super intelligence, no discovery in quantum, that will ever satisfy your soul’s need for love.

And so, we come to advent, which means “coming” or “arrival.” Advent is the season that trumpets the arrival of Jesus. Maybe His coming is a good thing or maybe it’s a bad thing – why did He come? What did He bring with Him?

The most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16. In this verse, Jesus gives us the “why” of His advent. He says, “For God (our Father) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

God our Father, the Supreme, not-artificial-Intelligence, “advented” His Son, not primarily motivated by intelligence or productivity or efficiency, but primarily motivated by love. Christmas happened, and happens, because Creator God loves you.

Consider that all the inner workings of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit grind together, harmonize together, work together, to offer you a life of big deep breathing back into Their love for you. Stability, vitality, purpose, power, juice, JOY, healing, and so much more branch from the root of love.

Here is a Christmas exercise for you. Count the number of blessings in Paul’s prayer for you from Ephesians 3:14-21 that come from the root of love…

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

My goal in all of this is to convince you of the priority of love. AI, your company, your bank account, your physical appearance, the success of your kids, your reputation, your position in life, how beautiful your home is… ALL of these are superficial trinkets – knock-off Super Bowl rings.

From God our Father, Jesus our Brother, and the Holy Spirit as our Life, you are loved.

Love is the root.

Love is the source.

Love is LIFE.

Unfortunate objections…

“I don’t have time for love.” — Well, how is whatever you are spending your time on doing at giving you peace and joy?

“Love is not productive. Because the reason you exist is to be increasingly efficient.” — That’s awesome…

“Love is too painful.” — Ah, yes! And it is too painful because it is THE need of your soul. But, graciously, warmly, and powerfully, the love of our Father can heal the wounds of man.

“Love is really, really messy.” — Hahaha… TRUTH! There is no system of love. No assembly line. Love hurts. Love exposes. Love is vulnerable. But love is real and passionate and caring and building.

“I am too tired for love.” Hmm… Why? Possibly because you are so busy trying to build a life for yourself instead of trusting in the love of your Father, the way of Jesus, or the power of the Holy Spirit?

How can you be convinced of the beyond-nuclear power of love such that your life shifts to prioritize love? You must come to the end of whatever else you are doing that has you running from love. You have to look in the mirror and say, “Whatever this is, it is not working.”

Even if your way of walking with Jesus is prioritized on anything other than love! Not good works. Not reading the Bible. Not going to church. Not memorizing Scripture. Not pouring into others. Not leading. Not mission trips. Not ________________.

If your relationship with God does not begin, middle, and end in the overflow of His love, you must quit.

So here is a potential gift-receiving, light you up, joy-filled prayer for you to consider Advent/Christmas.

Blessed Father, I quit.

I quit _____________________ that I have prioritized over love. I am not 100% sure how to live a love-led life at rest in You, but I am 100% sure that my way of life isn’t generating the abundant LIFE about which Jesus made Christmas for me. Have mercy on me for seeking to build my life on anything but You and Your love.

Heal my wounds.

Quiet my fears.

Relieve my exhaustion.

Kindle my fire!

Thank You for sending Your Son in love. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Thank You for sending your Holy Spirit.

“Make known to me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy; In your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

In Jesus’s name…

Amen.