The Paradox of Advent
Luke 1:5-7: "In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years."
We all have times in our lives when we experience deep sorrow and pain. For Zechariah and Elizabeth, this pain came from their inability to conceive a child. This is a painful experience that many people face. For others, sorrow is felt through the loss of a job, an unfortunate diagnosis, or the death of a loved one. Christmas is a time of celebration and cheer, but there are a lot of folks who have a difficult time getting through the holidays. How can we be cheerful when it feels like our world is falling apart?
It was only a few years ago when my grandfather died very suddenly. My grandmother noted that “the firsts” are the hardest. The first Christmas without him was especially difficult, and it didn’t help that his birthday was on the day after Christmas.
Several years ago, my grandfather’s birthday fell on a Sunday. He told me the only thing he wanted that year was for me to come and preach at his church in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. I was still in high school, but I was happy to do so. I can look back fondly on how we celebrated his birth that day.
I’m sure that Zechariah and Elizabeth celebrated when they eventually gave birth to their son, John the Baptist. But each year we celebrate the birth of one who is greater than my grandfather and greater than John the Baptist. The birth of Christ was God’s way of offering us hope, joy, peace, and love in a world full of pain and sorrow. May we find ways to celebrate as we anticipate the coming of Christ.
Prayer: God of comfort and peace, we don’t always know how to celebrate in times of hardship and suffering. There are times when we feel like our whole world is crashing down upon us, but we know that you are present with us even during times of crisis and chaos. As we journey throughout this Advent season, may we find hope, joy, peace, and love as we await your Son’s coming. Amen.
