ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
December 9, 2021
You probably have moments when you read a passage of scripture and find yourself saying, “What! Are you kidding me!!” I find one of those passages in James 1:2 where we read: “My brothers and sisters, think of the various trials you encounter as occasions for joy.” I tend to think of the things that make my life easier as occasions for joy, not the things that are hard and make life more difficult. Yet James doesn’t back down from his statement, and I think it’s because he knows that all of us will have trials. It’s just a reality. Some people’s trials will be more significant than others, but it is not a competition. It appears to be more about attitude, and how we see God in these moments of trial. James is clear that God is not the source of the difficult, while also believing there is always good to draw from those experiences; there are moments of grace revealed in those experiences; there are people who show up like divine messengers along the way. Trials are just the reality of being human, yet the Christmas story appears to have something to say. Simply put, God shows up right smack-dab in the middle of the challenge. God shows up, born with the fullness of love and mercy, right into the center of whatever burdensome struggle has come our way.
We sing, “Unto us a child is born,” yet his birth is not intended only when everything is just fine. Holy God of the manger, let us be aware of how you come alongside us amidst all life’s struggles. It is there that joy can sit alongside deep pain and despair. Amen.
