And right now, when so much seems at a loss in the world, that is good news. God, Emmanuel, is not lost at all, but is right here with us in the midst of it all. Seeking us out. Giving us hope for a new dawn. Feeding us at the table of mercy and grace.
An Adult Christmas
What is the Christmas message for us, especially this year? Sometimes the blue of Advent feels more authentic. A world still waiting. Longing for justice and healing to dawn on a world filled with inequities, cynicism, and confusion. Hoping against hope.
With our pristine manger scenes, it is easy to overlook that in the scriptures God’s people seem to always be dealing with slavery or living in exile . . . with foreign occupation or siege. Nothing about the first Christmas is ideal for Mary and Joseph. The timing is off. The birth messy. The political context unstable.