‘Tis the Season: God with Us
“The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.”
--A prophetic vision of God’s peaceful realm
(Isaiah 11:6)
Wednesday: Something we tend to not think about
Christians and, for that matter, much of culture around the world is preparing to celebrate Christmas. We celebrate the birth of Jesus, not because December 25 is his birthday, but because it is important to celebrate God’s incarnational presence among us. This week we are meditating on various realities of what it means to feel that God is with us.
Tonight I will be spending time with some of the people who participate in one of the hospital's Bereavement Support Groups. There will be young people and adults who have experienced significant losses in their lives. For some of them the losses came during the last year; for others the losses happened up to ten years ago. For each of them, dealing with the loss is painful and difficult to this very day!
They won’t celebrate this season with the same kind of joy that many have. Their lives are not as complete as they want them to be. Death has left a darkness within that doesn’t diminish with the glimmer of holiday lights. They are longing for compassionate friends who will reach out to them where they are; friends who will take some time to be reverent and silent; friends who will be present with them and the spirit of their loved one.
If you are aware of a grieving, bereaved soul this season, maybe you could take some time to be with them on “their turf”. If you do, you might find out a bit more about the peaceful place that today’s Scripture verse depicts and you may be blessed with a little bit more understanding about the little child who leads us to the realm of peace.
Have a blessed day as you continue your preparation for the holiday.
--Ben Keckler
12.15.10
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