Advent: A Season of Tension and Contrast
Advent is a season of contrasts and tension. I don't remember a time leading up to Christmas when I've sensed this so deeply.
Jesus' birth and redemption story, as predicted in the Old Testament and documented in the New, is filled with language about darkness and light. Despair and joy. Oppression and freedom. Death and life. Grief and hope.
Christmas carols like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" capture both sides of this tension, in their language and even in their minor key:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Darkness and Light in the Nativity Story
Darkness and light, fear and joy, are featured prominently in the nativity story. It was in the pitch-black night on a Bethlehem hillside that an angel announced in brilliant glory to the shepherds:
"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people..." Luke 2:10
God did not wait for daylight. He spoke hope directly into the darkness.
When Joy and Loss Coexist
In my morning quiet time this year, I've been reading a daily devotion from Christianity Today. A blog drops into my inbox each morning, penned by a variety of pastors and writers, called "Darkness and Light: Stories of Illumination for the Season of Advent." Their personal stories and insights have been faith-building and thought-provoking.
Maybe I'm more sensitive to this tension than in other years. As great as things have been going in the National Network of Youth Ministries universe, there has also been significant loss and grieving. Teammates who had become dear friends moved on to other ministries. This fall, we were hit with the sudden death of our dog Hank. Cancer. We feel his absence around our home every day. Any pet owner would understand.
It's also been four years since my sweet mom graduated to heaven. And as we age, we become increasingly aware of long-time friends and ministry partners who have gone to be with the Lord. I don't know that I've ever mailed more sympathy cards than I did this year.
Grieving With Hope
I've been sad a lot this year. But those of us who follow Jesus don't grieve like other people.
I'm not talking about denial. We don't ignore or suppress our sorrow. A recent Bible Project video on "Joy" observes:
Biblical faith offers a unique perspective on joy... the joy of God's people is not determined by their struggles, but by their future destiny.
That future destiny changes how we grieve.
God Speaks in the Dark
The truth is, God speaks in the dark. Paul summed it up well in 1 Thessalonians 4:13b when he wrote, "...so that you do not grieve as do the rest who have no hope."
It is that future destiny, the historic reality of the resurrection and the certainty that all things will be reconciled and made new in the renewed earth described in Revelation, that actually enables us to lean into grief and loss. We can face it honestly because we know it's not a bottomless pit.
The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow captured this hope prophetically during the Civil War:
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.
And that is good news, friends.
Merry Christmas, indeed.