Why “Love Stinks”

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this season was a small token of appreciation from one of my BLAST participants – a container of chocolate covered bing cherries. Yum!!! They brought back incredibly vivid memories from Christmas Eve 2008. I had downed way too many bing cherries that night, and they came back up again at 4 a.m.! Mr. Claus didn’t expect to be holding Mrs. Claus’ hair out of her face while she puked her bing-cherry-guts up, but that’s how we spent our Christmas morning last year.

Although I’d prefer to forget that wretched experience, I fondly remember Greg being so compassionate and patient with me in my time of crisis. I felt incredibly loved as he sat in the floor with me, trash can in one hand, warm wash cloth in the other... smile on his face, and a twinkle in his eye. He said I was beautiful, even lurched over a bucket. It was almost romantic!

It’s funny how we envision “love” or “romance” as a bunch of rose petals and champagne flutes and flickering candles and maybe a hot tub or a cheesy heart-shaped bed with mirrors on the ceiling. When we think of “love” we don’t think of holding someone’s hair out of their face while they’re vomiting, or washing the skid marks out of our husband’s underwear, or pointing out the spinach in their teeth or a booger in their nose. But isn’t that what love really is? To be there for a person in their most awkward time of need? To gently point things out that they surely wouldn’t want the rest of the world to see? To come alongside someone to help clean up life’s little messes, no matter how much they stink?

That’s exactly what Jesus did. He put on human skin and entered our world via a stinky animal manger. He boldly placed his hands on a leper’s open wounds to bring comfort and complete healing. Jesus compassionately broke the news to the woman at the well that she was looking for love in all the wrong places and developing quite the reputation in the process. He reached into a rotting grave and brought Lazarus from death back to life again with two simple words: “Come Forth!” He washed His disciples’ smelly feet, and my guess is that they had some pretty nasty toe jam after all of that walking around in the desert in leather sandals.

Jesus knew that “love stinks.” But He didn’t care. He chose to put up with the stench, and love people anyway. And that’s why we still celebrate Him two-thousand years later. Because we know He loves us like crazy, no matter how badly our sin reeks.

So as we wrap up the Christmas season and look forward to the new year ahead, let’s continue to honor Jesus by loving others the way He loves us!

(adapted from Shannon’s blog, posted 12-25-09)

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