[Advent] The Love of Simeon
“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations.” (Luke 2:30-31) It’s that time of year when, inevitably, you’ll step into a department store and hear: “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away.” (My sincerest apologies if that gets stuck in your head.) If you love that song, I’m happy it’s adding to your Christmas joy. But it always makes me pause. It seems to be about love, given and betrayed and found anew. And after all, Christmas is all about love, right? Christmas is, in fact, the most beautiful love story.…
[Advent] The Joy of Anna
“Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 52:9) Let’s imagine a little today. You’re seven years old again. It’s a few days before Christmas, and a big box has appeared under the tree. And it’s just the right size to be that thing you’ve been wanting so badly. (What is it for young you – perhaps a bike? A game? A sled? Fancy shoes?) It feels like Christmas morning will never get here. Hours stretch by with hope and longing. But sure enough – 25 December, you race to the tree and rip off…
[Advent] The Peace of Elizabeth
“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45) Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39-45 Pregnancy and childbirth are no walk in the park under normal circumstances for a woman in her young and vigorous “childbearing years.” But for Elizabeth, who was already a barren senior citizen with no children and had a newly mute husband to boot (see last week’s post about Zechariah), it would make sense for her gestation period to be anything but full of peace. And yet, that’s what she brought to Mary – another newly-pregnant-under-wildly-strange-circumstances woman. An angel had prophesied the birth of Elizabeth’s son in her…
[Advent] The Hope of Zechariah
“And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.’ (Luke 1:20) Mary. Joseph. Angels. Shepherds. And of course, Jesus in baby form. These figures stand out in our nativity scenes, setting the stage for the story of the Gospel, the birth of the Good News, and the very reason the organization I lead is on mission to help Christians get ready to speak. But, like the best literary stories, this historical one had profound characters waiting in the wings to emphasize its most powerful points. This year, our…
