Tidings Of Great Joy?

Christmas is upon us – again! As if we’d miss it or get bored by it. Although, this year our church community has approached Christmas in a way like never before. We’ve had a number of difficult events in the congregation over the past few weeks, including two sudden and unexpected deaths here in Ponoka and one in the Netherlands.

It’s certainly made it harder to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Every year we’re challenged by keeping spending and excess under control, aren’t we? Not to mention the non-stop slappy-happy commercialism complete with annoying commercials on TV. Conflicting with the fact that many parents can’t afford what their children apparently must have. Families are often pushed to provide a simple gift and a good meal. Food banks are run ragged right about now. But for our community the point of Christmas has been harder to keep in focus.

In services we always talk about peace, love, hope and joy; often I wonder what those simple words mean. It’s easy to confuse joy with happiness and hope with getting what I want. Love with warm feelings and peace with the relief that comes after the holiday with its extra services is over. Not this year, this year we’re remembering that all these gifts come from outside into willing hearts. What I mean is that we can’t just manufacture them. They must be received so that hearts can become willing to accept joy as a deeper experience that often appears without happiness, or hope that gives strength to keep walking even when death strikes close to home. Or love that comes by way of a text or email, like: I’m praying for you. Or peace appearing when there seems to be nothing but chaos all around; it’s like being in the eye of the hurricane.

This year we’re coming to realize in a profoundly new way that God is good when times are good and when times are hard. The Bible often refers to times of suffering and disaster and the like as darkness. And the Bible also offers an important word to help us keep things in perspective: “In Jesus is life, and that life is the light of men and women. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1.4-5) Or as St Francis said: “all the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

Approaching Christmas this year has been learning to hold on even tighter to that candle, the single candle who is the babe of Bethlehem, King, Lord and victor over death and the grave.

I don’t know which of Christ’s gifts you need this year. Whichever: Hope, joy, love or peace are available. Find a Christmas service, hear the whole story and be encouraged. No matter what this truly is the season for tidings of comfort and joy!