In
the midst of the Christmas story we easily can find our self in a strange
predicament. We are now in the third week of Advent; Christmas is less than two
weeks away. By this time most of us have our Christmas trees up, houses
decorated, and been to at least one Christmas party and we wait to celebrate
the birth of Jesus. Except that in the middle of all the planning, shopping, celebrating
and running about there does seem a greater amount of fear and doubt at this
time of the year as well. Physicians, physiologists, and counselors all report
an increase in request for counseling, admissions to mental health facilities,
and suicides all peak right in the middle of the holiday season. We hope and
wait for the coming of Emmanuel asking the preverbal question: Is this all
worth it? We try desperately to cover our darkness during this time a year by
lighting candles on wreath, putting lights on a tree, and praying for peace on
earth and in our family. We are full of Christmas cheer and all it takes is the
loss of a friend or loved one, getting laid off from our job, and like a bubble
being popped our joy and spirit. We quickly become disappointed in our selves,
with the world, and even with God, which feels worse at Christmastime. We
desperately wait and want at strong Messiah for a strong people, a Messiah who
helps those who help themselves, a Messiah who knows how to stand up for His people
and a Messiah we can be proud of. But
what we get instead is Jesus. And measured against all the expectations and
hopes of all the people, Jesus probably falls short of the mark disappointing
many. I mean, let’s face it. The people Jesus seems preoccupied with- the lame,
the deaf, the poor, the ill, and the dead are not exactly the popular or mover
and shakers of our world. These people are not going to change anything. They
can barely take care of themselves much less help someone else.
We
are taught not to trust anyone, take nothing for granted, and cover all our
bases. And so when push comes to shove we regularly hide behind our
insecurities and fears, we hind behind our houses and careers, and desperately
hide our failings and infirmities. We hold it all together until the word
“cancer, downsized or divorce” is breathed and we find ourselves just as
fragile and vulnerable as anyone else. And at these moment, especially during
this time of year, the words of Jesus speaks offers some measure of comfort. This is what we prepare for during this
season. This is the hope we find in our King. When we at times feel stuck
between God’s promises made and God’s promises kept, when we , too, at times,
know ourselves to live between Christ’s first coming at Bethlehem and his
second coming. We can at t times feel disappointed at ourselves, the world, and
even God, find ourselves whispering underneath our stress “Come Lord Jesus
Come.” At those moments, we know whatever our misgivings, whatever our disappointment,
God is not disappointed in us and comes to us anyway. Jesus comes to us eager
to join us in our weakness, to hold us in our insecurities, and to comfort us
in or fears. God in Jesus came to us not for the
strong and the proud but the weak and the vulnerable. God in Jesus came for us
which is cause to celebrate despite our fear, worries and doubts.
Peace, Love, Hope and Joy
Tommy
