When Love Becomes the Missing Story of Christmas

The First Step👣

The holidays are here again. Lights go up. Calendars fill. People argue about whether to say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. And somehow, a season meant to bring peace has become another excuse for debate. We know Jesus was likely not born in December. We know Christmas has turned into a commercial marathon filled with spending, expectations, and pressure. And now it is political too. A holiday that was never meant to spark division has become a cultural battleground.

But if we peel back all that noise, something quieter waits beneath it.A God who came close.A God who stepped into a broken world to mend a broken road.A God who arrived, not to take a side, but to take us home.

That is what I want to remember this season. That is what I want to help others remember too.

The Pebble in My Path🚶🏽‍➡️

Everything around us feels tense. Even small things can become conflicts. A greeting. A tradition. A phrase on a cup. We get so distracted defending the holiday that we forget the One the holiday is about.

And even deeper than that, we forget what Jesus said would be the true marker of His people. Not our decorations.Not our vocabulary.Not our arguments.

He said the world would know we belong to Him by one thing. Love.

Not love as sentiment. Love as action. Love that heals. Love that surprises. Love that interrupts the cycle of anger with compassion.

Jesus knew this world would be filled with tension and hostility. That is why He said our love for each other would stand out. It would whisper of heaven in a world that has forgotten what peace sounds like.

And today, if we are honest, many people do not associate Christianity with love. That alone should make us pause.

The Compass

There is a moment at the end of Jesus’ ministry that reveals His heart more clearly than any holiday tradition ever could. He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”He also prayed that our unity would be the evidence that He truly came from God.

Jesus was saying something simple and revolutionary. The proof of His presence in the world would not come through laws, arguments, or performances. It would come through love.

Years later, the apostle John echoed this in his letters. He wrote, “Love is from God.”He wrote, “If God loved us, we should love one another.”He wrote, “We love because He first loved us.”

John did not soften his message. He went straight to the heart. He said, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.”

That is a hard truth. But it is also a healing one.

It means love is not optional. It is essential. It means love is not a suggestion. It is identity. It means love is not the result of perfect circumstances. It is the result of being loved by God.

And that brings us back to Christmas. God did not come to Earth because we were lovable. He came because He is love. He came to pull us close. To open a path home. To reveal the Father through a life of compassion, mercy, and presence. This season is not about fighting over words. It is about living out the love that proves He is still here.

The Open Trail

So before we enter another holiday filled with noise, pause. Remember that the miracle of Christmas is not wrapped in lights or captured in a greeting. It is wrapped in a Person. A God who came near.

And if we want the world to see Him clearly, then our love must be clearer than our arguments. Our unity must be louder than our opinions. Our compassion must be stronger than our pride.

As you reflect on this season, ask yourself, Is there someone I need to love today? Is there someone I need to forgive? Is there someone I need to listen to without judgment? Is there a place where I can bring peace instead of noise?

Because the world will not come to Jesus by force. It will come through love. And love begins with us.

This season, do not protect Christmas. Live Christmas. Let your kindness be a quiet testimony. Let your forgiveness be a whisper of heaven. Let your unity be the story that brings curious hearts closer to God.

Because at the end of the day, the most powerful evidence that Jesus came into this world is the love we are willing to show one another.

Stay barefoot. Stay honest. Stay close to the ground.

– Barefoot Gospel👣