Christmas is an event
Christmas … in eight days.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)
I remind myself Christmas is not just a celebration. It is an event, an occurrence, a happening. Yes, God came long ago, but God is still coming. The potency of that moment is still active. The rush of the Spirit, the flow of grace, the fulfillment of promises … all these are still operative. Oh, my God.
What happened to the hope deep within you? I must confess, I came to hate it. I hoped for the abuse to end at this time, at that time, and it did not. I hoped God would kill one of my perpetrators. This, of course, did not happen. I hoped for so many things for myself and for others around me, all of which, in the atmosphere of an abusive home, just could not come to be. Oh, yes, I came to hate the hope within me. After all, that hope made a fool of me, didn’t it? Time after time, I wanted God to come in some demonstrative way. Time after time, I’d go right back to the next hope, feeding on its scraps, or so I sometimes thought.
As adulthood came, as I began to ponder Christmas — God coming in human form, not as a mighty warrior but as a baby — and a bit of wisdom settled in. God’s demonstrations are not loud; they are not deadly(!); they are not forceful. But they do exist; God does come. God comes in apparent weakness, but this weakness confounds our thinking!
The hope within us is anything but foolish. It is anything but weak. It is, in fact, a sign of God’s presence. It is that “great light” Isaiah describes. It is a movement that, with our cooperation, will lead us out of our particular darknesses.
Over this next week, I will use my time under the Juniper to ask God what darkness He means to enlighten within me now. I will thank Him for the massive darkness He has already lifted. And, I will pray for God to lift the darkness of those still in the midst of abuse, igniting their hope!
Reflection
What role did hope play during your childhood? What role does it play now?
Prayer
Dear God, hope is often suspect. To hope leaves me vulnerable. I see this as dangerous. Help me, Lord, to see vulnerability with You as it truly is: the beginning of healing, the dawning of light, Your light. Amen.