Reading
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Luke 2:8-10 (NIV)
Reflection
Author Tish Harrison Warren wrote, “We prepare for Christmas not only with shopping lists and decorations but by making space for mourning. We join with Israel in lamentation. We wait, as the hymn says, ‘in lowly exile here, until the Son of God appears.’”
The ancient Israelites spent many of their years in literal exile because of their enemies. They longed to be free of such a burden. They learned to trust in the promise that a savior would come to them one day. However, their literal exile was only one part of their burden. The other part was the burden we all share as humans—the spiritual “exile” we feel because of our sin, and because of living in a world often covered in darkness rather than being filled with light.
It’s often been said that, as we live our lives here on earth, we have a constant twinge of longing for heaven, a homesickness for our true home. However, the good news of the gospel is that Jesus has not only promised us the gift of eternal life after we die, but also abundant life here and now. Life is abundant when we build our life on the foundation of God’s love, even if we face rather difficult circumstances.
The Advent season is the time we’ve set aside in our church year for getting ourselves spiritually ready to celebrate the coming of the Christ. During Advent, if we fully acknowledge our need for a Savior–not just a want–it can turn the joy of Christmas into a truly transforming thing in our lives.
At Christmas, we celebrate the presence of a Savior who is sufficient for our every spiritual need – and the most pressing need we have is the forgiveness of our sin. Sin, after all, is the main source of our “exile.” Through the saving power of Jesus, our exile can turn into having a true home and our mourning can give way to joy. In fact, because of what we’ve been through (all those experiences that feel like exile), the joy that comes is even more amazing.
Mourning comes in various ways, and sometimes it includes the grief we experience because a loved one has passed away. We feel apprehensive about what the holidays will be like without them. This is where, for many of us, the “mourning” of the season of Advent becomes especially real. Sometimes it seems we’re “ambushed” by our own feelings. A Christmas song comes on the radio, and it happens to be our deceased loved one’s favorite. The smell of a particular kind of holiday food in the oven makes us long for the company of our loved one. A Christmas card comes in the mail, and for the first time, just our name appears on the envelope and not our partner’s, and it makes our heart sink.
There are pains in our “heart of hearts” that won’t be fully healed until we enter heaven. Even so, we can have hope because we stand in a long tradition of Christian believers who have felt a similar mourning and a longing to be free of their burdens. In fact, such mourning and longing unites us, despite our many differences. There is no one who is totally free of sin, and there is no one who is totally healed in their heartache, either. All of us need Jesus. Therefore, all of us have hearts that are ready and eager to be filled with joy.
When it comes to getting ourselves ready for embracing the joy of Christ, there are no shortcuts. And the time of waiting can be long and difficult. But just as the shepherds in the field were filled with renewed hope and joy when they heard the angels proclaim that a savior was finally born, so too can our own hopes for renewal and restoration be fulfilled. We keep holding on and waiting and watching and hoping, much like those shepherds.
God always fulfills God’s promises. This season, if your heart is hurting, you can trust that God is good and that God will fulfill the promise of joy that comes after mourning.
Prayer
Almighty God, thank you for loving us so much that you gave your son to be the fulfillment of our hope, joy, and salvation. In our times of mourning, keep us anchored in Christ as we wait for the fulfillment of your promises. Amen.
