The Bungee Cord. 12-19-22
Hello,
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” I just read an advent devotional saying that this is the message of Advent and Christmas. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
I suppose it might sound a bit bold for me to voice disagreement with a devotional that had been published by the seminary that I went to 40 years ago. But it was at that seminary that I learned that although “there is a light at the end of the tunnel” might offer some hope, but in truth the message of Advent and Christmas brings a much deeper and complete hope. The message of Christmas and Advent that I learned, and continue to rejoice in, is “the light comes into the tunnel”.
Maybe you have never found yourself paralyzed in a dark tunnel of life. Grief that is crippling. A prognosis that promises a worsening life. A hole that you have fallen into that is deeper than your reach. Guilt that keeps beating you up and you can’t get off the ground. Maybe you have never found yourself paralyzed in a dark tunnel of life, but if you have (and I am pretty sure that you will because none of us is immune to the fragility of our lives) you know that to be told that there is a light at the end of the tunnel holds no hope…..but actually is painfully torturous because you know that under your own strength you’ll never get there.
That is why the message of Advent and Christmas is an explosion of hope, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John1) Remember, God came to us…in the darkness of our lives…in Jesus. Emmanuel, as the Bible says Jesus to be, does not mean God is standing outside of our tunnel waiting for us to get there, it means “God is with us”, right here, right where we are, bringing light to our darkness even when we cannot move out of it. Jesus was not born in heaven, Jesus was born on earth.
To say “the light shines in the tunnel” tells you and me that when darkness befalls us, there is one who comes to transform the darkness. “I am with you,” says God almighty. The one who in the beginning brought light into all of creation, has come with that same power to bring light into your life and mine. Peace does not only lie ahead, Jesus, the prince of peace embraces you and me right where we are. Joy does not only lie ahead in heaven, Jesus, who came to Zaccheaus’ house and sent his lonely heart singing comes, comes into your house and mine and opens the future for us. Love does not only lie ahead, Jesus, the incarnation of God who is love, comes to choose you in the kickball game of life and says, “You are on my team.”
The truth is that we do not know the date of Jesus’ birth, but a long time ago, when Christians were deciding when to celebrate his birth, they chose what they thought was the darkest day of the year….the day with the least sunlight, the day with the longest darkness, the day when it seems like the light will never come as it seems when a tragedy descends upon us….Christians decided to make that day, December 25th, the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus….the day when the light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.
So on this December 25th, hear the angels proclamation, “‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,* the Lord,” and rejoice for Jesus, the light, has come to us…has come into our darkness!
Have a great week,
God’s grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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