On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
three French hens…

The three French hens are traditionally understood to represent faith, hope, and love (charity)—the enduring virtues at the heart of Christian life.

“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
and the greatest of these is love.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:13

These are not abstract ideals. They are practices. They must be lived, returned to, repaired when they fray.

Faith is not certainty—it is trust amid ambiguity.
Hope is not optimism—it is stubbornness in the face of despair.
Love is not sentiment—it is the costly work of staying human with one another.

In the current moment, faith is strained by institutional failures and public disillusionment with religion. Hope feels fragile as we watch climate warnings intensify, inequalities widen, and conflict repeat itself with weary familiarity. Love is tested by fatigue, fear, and the temptation to withdraw.

Broken Theology does not shame us for this weariness. It names it.

Faith, hope, and love are not virtues we possess. They are gifts we must keep receiving. Like hens, they are living things—requiring care, patience, and attention. They can be neglected. They can wander. They can be harmed. But they can also, remarkably, endure.

And when everything else feels thin, love remains—not loud, not triumphant, but present. Still feeding the world.

---

May faith hold your doubt,
may hope outlast the long night,
may love keep breathing.