“For a child has been born for us….” Isaiah 9:2-7
Twinkling lights, excited faces, the anticipation of unexpected and expected hopes especially frame this week. At this very time, we gather to celebrate the incarnation, the coming of the Christ child; we must also be mindful that many will be living with the painful reality of loss. Whether the losses come in the form of loved ones who have died, material possessions from natural disasters, dreams, plans, aspirations, or the loss of hope, which is very real. For some, it is ever-present, and for others, it may come in ripples of small touchpoints that periodically remind us of what was. Regardless of how we experience a sense of loss, it makes the holidays difficult.
Soul wounds that impact our physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being are real. What can we do when we are aware of hurting persons, and we are at a loss for words? What should we do when we are with people who cannot muster the joy the season demands of us in every commercial, storefront window, or radio jingle? We do not need to fix, lecture, or request from someone what they cannot live authentically. We can be present. We can be with. We can walk alongside. We can listen.
Isaiah’s words are a reminder that there are those “who walk in darkness… those who live in a land of deep darkness….” But I take solace in his following words, as Isaiah goes on to declare the truth of hope, “For a child has been born for us… and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus’ birth – the joy of new life and the coming of the Prince of Peace – brings renewed opportunity for each of us to be signs of God’s ever-present and unfailing love. This Christmas season presents an opportunity for each of us to offer comfort to all who suffer unbearable loss, all who mourn, and all whose lives must be rebuilt. Christmas invites us to witness to the light that shines in this darkness, indeed, to live as those who “have seen a great light.” Jesus, God in the flesh, intertwined with our world and our lives, mysteriously complicated, beyond the bounds of our full comprehension, and yet closer to us than we are to ourselves.
Come, Lord Jesus. Bring us out of our darkness into your marvelous light. Amen
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