What A Week Might Bring

“There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them.” - Luke 2:8-10

It’s almost that time. Christmas is just under a week away. In one short week, in most homes there will be presents under the tree, dinner with family or friends, kisses under the mistletoe, reading of the Nativity, and another year of celebrating Christmas. For some, it’s a beautiful and happy day with friends and family, and for others Christmas can be an incredibly lonely and difficult time. How do we balance the tension and dichotomy that often comes with the holiday season? A time that for some can be so joyous and exciting, and for others can be monumentally painful and bittersweet. I believe the answer is found in one of the core aspects of the Christmas season: Hope.

When we look at the Bible, the Old Testament comes to a close and ends swiftly with the book of Malachi. Do you know how much time passes between the end of the book of Malachi and the next time anything happens? Four. Hundred. Years. For four centuries, we have no record of a prophetic voice, no record of God speaking to His people. Nothing, but silence. I’m sure none of us could relate to that feeling, right? And then in a rapid sequence of events, an Angel appears unannounced to a man named Zechariah, (Seriously, the scripture makes a point of saying the angel appeared unannounced, isn’t that just like God?) and then to Mary, and to Joseph, and then the shepherds. Almost in a whirlwind, God speaks and everything changes. But then that’s the trend of the Bible, isn’t it?

Do you ever wonder what David was doing the week before a prophet appeared and told him he was going to become king? What Moses was doing the week before seeing the burning bush? What was Mary doing the week before the angel appeared? Or the shepherds? I suspect they were carrying on in their normal way, and perhaps feeling similar to how we might often find ourselves feeling. Maybe they were feeling disappointed, bored with life, or content but longing for something more. In worse circumstances, maybe they were like Joseph of the Old Testament, rotting in a prison whether real or in their mind, hoping desperately for some escape. A week before Jesus was born, Mary didn't even know where she would be giving birth. And then, just a week later, suddenly, everything changed. The shepherds didn't know a week prior that they would bear witness to the most important event in human history. And then, there it was, the savior of all the world was born.

This Christmas, if you’ve struggled with hope, if you’ve been wrestling disappointment, anxiousness, trying to balance the tension of what is with what could be, I would like to remind you that Christmas is in many ways, all about unexpected hope. As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything, good and bad, joy and sorrow, grieving and celebrating. If you, or someone you love, is in a season of silence, of delayed hope, of struggle, let the miracle of Christmas be a reminder. He is a God of hope. As the song says, you won’t see wind, and you won’t see rain, but when you call His name, the Holy one will renew your strength. And so hold on, when there is nothing left except the will to hold on, because unannounced, and suddenly, He will come. You never know what a week might bring.

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