I always thought I was the type of person who didn’t like change. I like the predictability of things. I have a favorite chair and tend to sit in the same seat at dinner and at staff meetings. I go through the same routines every day. When I drive I never divert from that imaginary “red-line” on my regular route. But, on some level, I have to admit, I like change. When I drive I change lanes a lot. Sitting in one place too long makes me nervous. And I’m constantly surfing the net—changing channels, or both.
I especially like the change that happens around this time of year—the change from winter to spring. I have always enjoyed the changing of seasons, but never realized how much they effected me as well as others. Winter is a descent into darkness. I love the symbolism of the birth of Jesus happening at the time of the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. (Historians have argued that Christ most likely was born in March, but who knows?)
I ran into a friend of mine the other night. It was late on a Sunday evening and he was looking unusually haggard. His son just finished fourth in the state wrestling championships where he was seeded first. His son was taking the loss hard and his father was dealing with it the best he could, like he always does, in a loving and caring way. But he was clearly showing signs of stress. He had spent the last couple of weeks at tournaments and on the road and was now trying see his son through a tough time. I knew he had had a long, rough weekend.
It struck me how out of character he looked: tired, disheveled, unshaven, with an overall dark and somber mood in his outward expressions and gestures. Even in the midst of the hectic tournament season he’s generally completely the opposite: lively, full of life, his face filled with happiness and the overwhelming joy and love of God. I expressed my concern for his well-being and didn’t really comprehend his reply until recently. He said, “this winter just seems to go on and on, and I just can’t wait until spring.”
In the midst of winter, Jesus comes to a world sitting in darkness and brings hope. It's awesome, just awesome. But sometimes we loose sight of that hope—no matter how strong our faith is. And there are still others who have never known that hope. As Christians, emissaries of Christ here on earth, we are called to bring hope to those who sit in darkness.
Fortunately for us, the days are getting longer as we approach the Spring Equinox on March 21 (invariably around Easter every year). On that day there will be an equal amount of daylight and darkness. The days will become longer than the nights. About a week later, on Easter Sunday, we will celebrate the Risen Jesus who comes, as promised, as the one who overcomes the darkness. Hope fulfilled.
With my friend that night I didn’t realize how hard it was to be a representative of hope for Christ at every moment. As I write these words now I am overwhelmed by the realization that it’s even harder to be a representative of hope fulfilled. But that’s exactly what we are called to be. Yours in Christ. JH.
joe harvey at 10:50 AM
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