A Christmas Story (One of the many, I’m sure)

Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer.

But really, it’s here already. We say it every year, and it never becomes less true: “Is it that time of year again?”

But enough with the pleasantries and down to business. I was sitting in church last night, and something really weird happened. I was right in the front after, incidentally, having playing in one of the most beautiful worship sets I’ve contributed to in a long time, listening to a fantastic message for the first Advent Service which carried the theme of Hope. Pastor Sam talked about what Hope is, what it isn’t, what it does, and what it looks like when Hope is gone, among other things. Click Here. (I really suggest you listen to it!) I was on the front of the left side pews which surround the stage, which gave me a clear view of both the middle and the left side aisles. About halfway through the message, I saw a girl who looked about 9 years old walk down the left aisle towards the stage, looking through every pew. Huh. She was just probably looking for her parents. She got to the front row and then turned around and skipped back towards the door. Considering my extraordinary sense of direction, I remember doing that many times as a child much older than 9. I’m sure she’ll find them. I looked back up to the stage, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw that she was coming back doing the same thing. Really strange. This time I was intrigued. Not only was I wondering who she was looking for, but would she actually find them? A third time she did the same thing! I would have been scared and then tried to play it off all cool and go to the bathroom and wait until the end of the message or something, but she didn’t do that at all. What was strange was that it didn’t seem to bother her in the least that she could not find what she was looking for. She seemed to have a strange sense of hope...

As this situation has progressed, I am wondering if I should try to help her, if I should ask if she’s ok, or just do something to help her find who she needed. Realizing that she probably was going to be ok, I stayed firmly planted in my seat, but was still riveted on her strangely joyous search for her lost parents. Having traversed the left aisle many times now and even having entered a few of them to get a better look, she walked to the middle aisle, and during the message, continuing the same kind of thing: walk up and down, and peer into each pew for confirmation that her parents either are or are not there. Finally, she turned around towards the right-middle set of pews. Immediately, she saw who she was looking for: a girl in her 20s that must have been watching her for the day. They might have hugged or something, but having watch this mini-story unfold before my eyes, I didn't notice any more details as I felt so blessed to be where I was, worshipping with the people of God, sharing in the Hope of Jesus.

How appropriate. This little girl exhibited exactly the kind of hope that the faithful Israelites had in anticipation for the Messiah- the very hope that Pastor Sam was talking about! When all Hope seemed lost and despair was immanent, she stayed her mind on the object of her search. As I found out through the message, the absence of hope will inevitably lead to despair. This girl did not despair! She had hope that she would find the person for whom she was earnestly looking, and just like at Christmas for those in anxious anticipation, she found her guardian!

Now we clearly can’t feel the agony of not having a Messiah. We have him, and just like we celebrated last week (or at least were supposed to), we are thankful for the reality that the Gospel is here and alive. Thankfulness looks back, but Hope looks forward! We must look forward to what is to come, because this world is passing away! There is no power here, Gandalf the Grey! (I had to, I'm sorry (and "Grey" is the British spelling because those actors are British... ok I'm done))

If that little girl looked forward to the event of finding her immediate treasure, we should all the more eagerly await the coming of Jesus!

When depressed, dry, broken, or struggling, Hope says, “He isn’t done. He’s coming back to make all things new.”

God is our Hope.

.DSN.