Today I find myself staring down the barrel of the concluding Sunday of Advent. And so far I’ve been witness to the lighting of three candles (hope, joy, and love) with one to go (peace) followed by the king of all candles, the Christ Candle on Christmas Eve. It’s been a different kind of year for our family as we explore new and diverse spiritual and worship opportunities rather than being bound to one church. Yet through it all I can see the consistency that pervades all Christian congregations during this season. There truly is hope and expectation that transcends all the accompanying man-made commercial madness that threatens to take over the month of December.
The busyness of the holidays can be seen in a small microcosm of the events my family will experience in just the next four days: my wife’s school chorus concert, my three children’s week of college final exams, the unexpected demise (and unbudgeted replacement) of a laptop computer, a long and tiring work-related trip to the site of a proposed nuclear power plant, the shock of three college kids returning home for winter break, and carpal tunnel surgery. Yes, nothing says the holidays like carpal tunnel surgery! But in the midst of the madness, my Sunday morning Advent worship gatherings have reminded me there is indeed hope through all our trials. And while my family’s week may sound jam-packed and stressful, it’s simply a blessing to know that we’ll all be together again soon for the most wonderful time of the year.
However, the holidays can also be a stark reminder of the brokenness of this world our Savior was birthed into some 2,000 years ago. On Saturday I was saddened to learn that an old friend had been hospitalized unexpectedly with stroke symptoms. On Sunday morning, my heart broke when I read a news story of a gunman on the opposite side of the country firing randomly at passing motorists as he tried in a suicidal cloud of deteriorating sanity to deal with the end of a romantic relationship. The story struck home even moreso when I discovered the slain gunman was someone I once knew when he was just a precocious, wide-eyed, fun-loving child of 4 or 5. My emotions were sorely tested as I cried for these families whose coming week of the unknown, of unanswered questions, of grief and shock and despair, would put my "busy" week into perspective.
In this world of ours, tragedy knows no holiday. Misfortune takes no breaks. And there is no single season of sadness by which to mark your calendars. Crises await us at every turn with no consideration of convenience. All the more reason to be mindful and thankful for the gifts of Advent: hope, joy, love and peace. Why? Because, regardless of the depressing tenor of the evening newscast, these four gifts are abundantly evident throughout the year, particularly as we approach Christmas. And through all the critical moments we face in life, these four intangible elements easily overpower the ills that dominate our darkest days. Make no mistake about it. Christ has come. He is with us always. And He is coming again. In each instance, blessing us beyond our station with the spiritual gifts that put all others to shame, the gifts that give us the strength and resolve to continue living in faith and serving Him. When life seems void of hope, Our Lord brings it. Jesus. The loving and humble king who promises healing and restoration and who bears all our sins with grace and mercy. In your life’s rock bottom moments, may you find the hope He offers through His birth, His teaching, His passion, His resurrection, and His love for you. Merry Christmas!
