Love is the glue that holds us together. It keeps my marriage adhered, my family united, my friendships enduring, and even church and society function with a version of the same mechanism for cohesion. (You notice that one most when it starts to unravel.) Love pulls us close.

Of course the darkest week of the year would feature love; a contrasts are great for illustrating concepts. We’re past the Winter Solstice. Every day will be a bit brighter. Decorate the house with lights to make up for the Sun’s southern vacation, that it peaks above the horizon but not too high. The noon sun is lower than my car’s windshield. I stare at it the way you do in an early summer morning – through sun glasses, with avoidance. The snow on the ground reflects the brightness. The crisp air keeps you inside. The crisp air keeps your loved ones inside with you, as we’ve decided this is a time to gather, to celebrate, and to enjoy each other’s company.

We’re not here because it’s good, we’re here because we’re attached. Love is a verb describing our care. Hate and indifference are solvents, disintegrating relationships and social order. Love is the glue that keeps us together. Love builds a better world.