Spread hope, peace, love and joy

“What the world needs now Is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there is too little of,” is a song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David first recorded in 1965 by Jackie DeShannon. It goes on, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No, not just for some but for everyone.” There is no better time to look for more love in the world than during the season of Advent when Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Hope is represented by the candle we lit on the first Sunday of Advent and sadly there are too many people around the world, in our country and in our hometowns for whom hope is a scarce commodity. We can all do more to spread hope just by following the teachings of Christ.

Peace is the message of the second week’s candle, and it is obviously in short supply with wars around the globe and bloodshed in our schools, synagogues, and on our streets. All I can say is “Give Peace a chance” from the song by John Lennon in 1969 at the height of the Vietnam War.

Joy is the meaning of the third week’s candle. It’s hard to find joy in a war zone, if you are living in poverty or ravaged by disease so let’s remember joy does not come easily for much of humanity. A 1719 hymn by English minister, Isaac Watts, “Joy to the World” would make a great wish this holiday season.

Love is the fourth candle we will light on Christmas Eve this year as we await the birth of Christ. As Christians we would do well to emulate the ‘good Samaritan’ who cared for the injured stranger thus displaying “Love for his neighbor” as we are commanded to do. May we all, Christians and non-Christians look for ways we can share and show our love. This holiday season, we all need a “little Jesus.”

Larry Hodgden lives in Tipton.