The Third Day of Christmas: Revelation & Love

I’mma gonna wax theological today. Mea culpa.

Today is the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. This is not John the Baptist. Though, some have argued that the Apostle and Evangelist is also the Revelator. I don’t really know if that holds up, but I do like the idea. Revelation and Love go hand in hand, you know.

We are at my mother’s house. This is not where I grew up, but she has lived here for almost 20 years. I love this house. Much good has happened here. She is, however, getting ready to move. I have mixed emotions, but it is the right decision.

I am seated in a yellow winged-back chair. The fireplace heater is keeping the room toasty. I am enjoying my third cuppa jo. Trish kindly drank the leftover coffee this morning before making a fresh pot for everyone else. It was her “coffee to make the coffee coffee.” Coffee is living water here. It is the beverage form of Revelation and Love.

Rain falls gently to the ground. We rarely see snow this time of year. Later today, we’ll make our way to Trish’s brother and his family. There will be ginger bread houses and blessed foolishness.

So, back to Revelation and Love. In the end, all is Love. Love is the fruition of God’s presence. When we ponder the Incarnation, the full presence of God in the person of Jesus The Infant, we are pondering Revelation and Love. In this way, you cannot have one without the other. As so many have said, if you want to know the nature of God, look to Jesus. This includes Revelation, even the Revelation of John.

It is a blueprint for holy revolution, the fruition of love for all, not the tale of the destruction of all. We need to switch that up if we wish to be true to Jesus’ vision for humanity. Jesus is insistent that the only way forward is the flourishing of all people, not just a few.

John’s feast brings to mind Revelation and Love. It is appropriate for the Third Day of Christmas. We spent so much of Advent on the topic of Revelation, it is important to remember that it does not end just because the Baby is born. Instead, it has begun.