PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

December 24, 2023

CHRISTMAS 2023

                “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from (the spirit of) God swept over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:1-2).”  Four of the five key words in verse 2 (formless, void, darkness, and deep) are symbolic of chaos and evil.  The one exception is wind (spirit).

God begins the process of creating order out of chaos by creating light. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness called Night.  And there was evening and there was morning, the first day (Genesis 1:35).”  The separation of light from darkness can be taken as God separating good from evil.

The author of the Gospel of John picks up on this contrast between light and darkness in his prologue (see also John 3:19-21). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.  What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:1-5).”

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem our world is filled with evil, chaos, and upheaval. Daily we receive the latest about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza/Israel.  Everyday there is a report of another killing(s) somewhere in our country.  In many places, the earth would seem to be covered with darkness.  Individually, there are many who are walking through the shadow of the valley of the chaos and evil.  Their futures do not hold much prospect for hope and joy.

The Good News of Christmas is that into the darkness the light of Christ came in a lowly stable in Bethlehem to bring order, peace, and joy.  Christina G. Rossetti (1830-1894) expresses this contrast between darkness and light in the first two verses of her somewhat atypical Christmas hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter.”  Darkness: “In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, on snow, in the bleak mid-winter, long ago (verse #1).” Light: “Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.  In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ (verse #2).”

Christmas 2023 the baby child of Bethlehem is waiting to be born all around us.  Once again, He comes to shine His light into the darkness, chaos, and evil of our world.  There are many forces that would seek to keep Him in check.  They will try their best, but in the end, they will fail, and the light of peace, hope, joy, and love will break forth.

Many missed Jesus the first Christmas.  They were not looking for Him in a lowly stable in Bethlehem.  Surely, if He was to be the King of Kings, He would be born in at least Jerusalem to an important family.  Hardly would His mother come from a backwoods town in Judea!  And so it was only a few realized what happened.  How will it be with us this Christmas?  Will we see the Christ child reborn in our midst?  He still comes in the most unexpected and unusual places.  May we all not miss Him when He comes, so that we might join with John the Baptist in testifying to the light which has come into our darkness.

(Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)