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Love “beareth all things…” (1 Corinthians 13:7a/KJV).

The most common English translation for the Greek word “stego” is “bear”. Thus the meaning of the first phrase in verse 7 is similar to the last one: Love “endureth all things.”

I have been interested to discover that “stego” is derived from another Greek word that denotes a roof. So this has stirred my imagination.

You can either be a roof over something or somebody or you might be a wall or a structure that carries a roof. Today I want to ask the question: What kind of roofing would you and I like to have above ourselves?

Obviously this question is not that unimportant! Just think that many people will not even see you as you are in a building. They will merely be able to look at the outward structure. Many will but see the material of the roof that covers the house you are staying in.

We are celebrating Christmas. You will recall that Christ has not been borne in a palace. The very first hours of his human life were spent in a very humble dwelling.

The outward circumstances of the Lord’s birth did not reveal the importance of that event. The poverty and humbleness surrounding him did not invite people to marvel at him.

We may ask ourselves, how would we react in such circumstances? Generally we like to be respected and valued. Would we be able to remain loving even when our living conditions make others not even notice we are here?

Yet Christmas is not primarily meant to make us examine ourselves or strive for holiness. The events of the birth of Jesus point us to God’s great love. We are called to stand still and to adore him!

Jesus Christ “who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself …” (Philippians 2:6-8a/KJV).