“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
-Luke 2:10-11
This has been a year of loss and sorrow and fear for a lot of us. I saw a sign the other day that said, “I never realized how much I loved “precedented times”’. I laughed out loud because I can still remember back to a day when I watched a movie with a scene of crowded, bustling streets, and didn’t think, “Why are they not all wearing their masks?!?!”
There is so much we are longing for, so much that we collectively miss. I miss being in a crowded church aisle for lessons and carols with lighted candles. That won’t happen this year, but the reason we would gather is still very much alive and well. Into our longing, into our brokenness, into our loss, our sorrow and suffering, into all of our fears there are good tidings of great JOY for ALL the people. We have a Savior, God Himself wrapped in flesh, who entered our mess of our world so we could know we are never alone in the middle of our mess.
We can light a candle this Christmas and rest assured that the Light of the World is stronger than any darkness we face. We can sing this truth into every fear. We can remind our weary and longing hearts that God Himself has come, and He will come again. We have nothing to fear because Love came down and defeated death. Good tidings of great joy. Suffering never has the final word.
