When Love Speaks Louder

The Voice of Zion December 2025 - Editorial -- 

Christmas brings people together who may not sit around the same table any other time of year. Some relatives share our faith; others do not. We may sit across from someone who once believed and no longer does, or someone carrying wounds we cannot see. Quiet tension may rise in moments like these. We feel pressure to say something – to defend what we believe, to “speak truth,” or to rescue a drifting soul in one conversation. 

Is that what love looks like? 

Scripture describes Jesus as “full of grace and truth.” In Him, grace and truth are not two poles we must balance between. They are perfectly united – truth that never loses compassion, and grace that never abandons truth. Paul writes, “Speak the truth in love.” Not speak the truth and hope love follows. Not speak the truth instead of love. Speak truth in love. Love is the tone; truth is the content; Christ is the example. 

At Christmas, we remember how God delivered truth – not as a speech, but as a child. Jesus entered the world quietly, vulnerably, in a manger. He invited rather than argued. He asked questions, listened, shared meals, and showed truth through presence. 

Sometimes we assume that if we don’t say enough, we’re not being faithful. Yet love is not weakness – love is evidence. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Kindness does not dilute truth. It creates space for truth to be received. 

We may be tempted to speak words to ease our own anxiety – to feel like we’ve done our part. But faith does not grow by pressure; “faith cometh by hearing.” Often the most powerful testimony is not a lecture but a life that quietly bears Christ’s fruit: patience when others are short, forgiveness when others are harsh, kindness when others protect themselves. Light does not argue with darkness. It simply shines. 

Our light shines through the lives we live and the things we hold dear. Jesus says the greatest commandments are first to love God and second to love our neighbor. Everyone we meet – believing or not – is made by God and needs His love just as we do. We may see only what’s on the surface, but Jesus reminds us that faith takes root in ways unseen. In His parable of the growing seed, the seed sprouts and grows “though he does not know how.” We cannot see into another’s heart. We cannot judge whether the soil is ready. We are simply asked to sow seeds. 

We see on mission fields how God opens hearts to receive the gospel – entirely His work. The same grace is at work in our own homes, where love sows seeds in quiet ways. At this time of year, including hymns, scripture readings, and simple traditions such as meal songs or Christmas recitations allows gatherings to center gently around the true meaning of the season. Even in mixed company, these shared moments of faith can speak truth in love – often reaching hearts more deeply than words alone. The music and message of Christmas can quietly touch unbelieving loved ones and open the way for meaningful conversation. 

Anything loving or good that others see in us is only by God’s grace. When we meet loved ones who are distant from faith, we don’t need speeches or a list of wrongs. If a conversation opens, a simple invitation may be enough – like Philip said to Nathanael: “Come and see.” 

We are not responsible to change a heart. 

Only God can do that. 

We are responsible to love. And when the Spirit opens a moment, He gives words. 

So when conversation flows around your holiday table and the urge rises to “say something bold,” remember: the Christ-child came full of grace and truth – truth held within grace. May our voices, our faces, and our actions reflect Him. Sometimes the most Christlike thing we can do at Christmas is soften our words, open our arms, and make room. 

May the Christ-child fill your home with peace this holiday season. May His light shine on you and through you in every gathering.  

Scripture References: 

• John 1:14 – Jesus came “full of grace and truth.” 

• Ephesians 4:15 – “Speak the truth in love.” 

• John 13:35 – “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” 

• Romans 10:17 – “Faith cometh by hearing…” 

• Matthew 22:36-40 – The greatest commandments: love God; love your neighbor. 

• Mark 4:27 – The parable of the growing seed: it grows “though he does not know how.” 

• John 1:46 – Philip says to Nathanael, “Come and see.”