The Bungee Cord 12-4-17

Hello,

     As many of you may know, we don’t really know the exact date of Jesus’ birth.  In truth, it appears that until the 4^th century many Christians celebrated it on January 6^th, a date that some Christians of the Eastern Orthodox tradition still hold to.  When you read the Bible, there is no recording of the date of Jesus’ birth, which may seem unusual to you and me, but even today in developing nations many people do not know their birth date or even their age, because dates do not carry the same importance in the lives of those cultures.

     There are a couple of theories as to why Christians have marked December 25^th as the birthday of our Lord.  But how ever December 25^th was selected, to me, it is a great day to celebrate Jesus’ birth, because for those of us, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, the day of Jesus birth takes place on what was thought to be the darkest day of the year.  And so today, as we begin this season of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, our steps take us down a road of ever increasing darkness, to a day that could not be any darker.

     Ever been on one of those roads? 

·      A road of addiction? 

·      A road of failing health? 

·      A road of memory loss? 

·      A road of a family falling apart?

·      A road of financial loss?  

·      A road of sin and pain? 

We’ve all been on these roads, either personally or walking hand in hand with someone we love.  I don’t know about you, but I find these roads frightening.  The darkness at the end of these roads is so powerful that is seems to have the pull of a black hole drawing me in with fear and unconquerable power.

     When I have been on these dark, dark paths I have had people with good intentions say things to me. 

·      They say, “Just hang in there.”  Sure…as I feel the power of the black hole sapping all of my strength. 

·      Or they say, “It isn’t that bad…others have it worse.”  Sure…as the fear and sorrow have a strangle hold on me. 

·      Or they say, “Well, if you wouldn’t have done this or that you wouldn’t be in the position that you are in.”  Sure….as I am being flogged with vengeful intent by the judgments of others. 

·      Or they say, “Sorry. We can’t do anything more.  Good luck.”  And I watch myself falling further and further away from those who have thrown their hands up in the air. 

These are the sort of things that people have said to me, and I bet also to you, when you and I are on these roads toward the darkest of days.

     But that is not what God says to us when we are on ever darkening paths.  What God says is this, “In those days, after all that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light , and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then…..THEN…they will see the Son of Man coming in  clouds with great power and glory.  The he will send out the angers, and gather his elect from the four winds from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”  (Mark 13:24)  That is what God says.  God says that when you get to the place that cannot be any darker…God will be there.  God will be there, and God will gather you into his embrace.  No matter where in heaven or earth you might be…north, south, east or west…no matter how deep the hole you find yourself in….whether you tripped and fell, whether you were pushed or shoved, or whether you jumped into that hole on your own…God will find you, and gather you into his embrace.

Today is the first day of advent, the day that the liturgical color changes to blue for the next four weeks.  Blue.  Why blue.  Because blue is the color of hope…the hope that we feel in our hearts when we awaken on a sunny day and the sky is pure blue.  These four weeks ahead of us is the only time of the year that the color blue greets us, surrounds us, and takes us back out into the world…and why?  Well when you and I are on paths over ever increasing darkness, with despair chilling our bones, and the world can only speak words of no hope…we are spoken to by the one whose power and might separated the light from the dark as the book of Genesis tells us, the one whose power no darkness can overcome as the book of John tells us, the one for whom even the darkness is light as the Psalms tell us….that one speaks to us and gives us his word….a word that he enfleshes….and he says, “When you find yourself in the deepest darkness, I will be there, and I will gather you in my embrace.”  And I don’t know about you, but I know for me….that gives me hope. 

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger