All I Want for Christmas

My older brother always loved to be surprised at Christmas.  But one of my younger brothers simply could not wait.  He snooped. He tried to trick my mom into telling him what he was getting. And then, the closer we came to Christmas, he sought out every conceivable hiding place.  Nothing was sacred, not the creepiest corners of the basement, not re-labeled cardboard boxes in the garage, not even the secrecy of our mom's closet or under the beds.  And then, he would not just discover, but proclaim to the world what he was getting.

There was great excitement and anticipation from Thanksgiving until Christmas morning.

And of what are we seeking this advent season? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I visualize my brother tearing into the wrapping paper and gift box, saying "Wow!  Normal?  Just what I wanted, Mom!" 

I am reminded of C. S. Lewis's words in his very first sermon in 1939 at the onset of World War II.  If you replace the word "war" with "pandemic," his words become even more prophetic.  (For the full text of his message, click this link.)

"For that reason I think it important to try to see the present calamity in a true perspective, The war creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice. Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun. We are mistaken when we compare war with "normal life". Life has never been normal."

All we want for Christmas?  Normal?  No, but Immanuel, God with us. 

Just as God revealed Himself and His love to the world, He amazed everyone.  As Michael Card states in his book The Promise:

But the Promise showed their wildest dreams

        Had simply not been wild enough.

And God has continued to reveal Himself all along in this strange and unusual year in unexpected, unlikely, and extraordinary ways.

We don't have to wait for the end of the pandemic to see what God has given us.  Above all, we experience the realization and reality of His Presence -- God with us.  

The truth and the essence and the reality of "I am with you," has been transformed from a belief, from a worldview, from scripture verses, into our daily bread.

And so our eyes should be focused not on "someday when this will be over," but this very day as we walk with Him.  We are both witnesses and participants in His glory.  Christ broke into this world to change everything.

And He still whispers to us, "Don't miss Me in this."

We are not left with an empty box, but given the gospel.