Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel
He stands at the busiest intersection in the middle of retail city. Everyone is in a mad dash for last minute Christmas gifts — they lock their doors and ignore his needy gaze. Turn up the radio, think about the wrapping left to do & the treats left to indulge in.
He’s got a Christmas hat, but instead of its usual jolly adornment on top of the head of some well-wisher at the mall, he’s turned it upside down and he’s holding it like an empty basket. He begs for pennies while thousands of shoppers pass by with hundreds of dollars of gifts in their trunks.
Then there’s the son whose heart is broken, the wife who isn’t prepared to face the next two days because their father has lost a long, hard battle with cancer just as the holiday dawned.
These events confronted me today and I found myself with a heavy heart. How could God let these things come to pass in the middle of a season of lights & gifts ? Why have I found myself in such happy circumstances amidst all the turmoil in this world?
Remember what Christmas is about in the first place? A savior born to heal the heavy, sin-battered hearts of this world. It’s about Emmanuel — God with us. Such a stark contrast to the holly jolly songs we dress the holiday in. Maybe our days aren’t merry & bright, but Emmanuel has come to us. There’s hope for a day when sin will no longer reign. There’s comfort in the midst of all of this.
Come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
[In loving memory of Steve McNeil]
