Earlier this week I talked about the Magi and their question, “Where is this baby?”
I included a photo with a path leading into the woods, implying an ongoing search. But for us, that’s silly – right?
We know the end of the story. He’s right here, all the time, and He will return one day. No need to search.
Not so fast – at least for me, perhaps for you.
When we know how it turns out, do we start taking just a bit for granted? Yeah, there’s a baby in the manger in the neat, tidy nativity scene. Now, let’s get the Christmas decorations out and the shopping finished. Company is arriving soon and there’s a big meal to prepare.
Please don’t misunderstand. I am a true curmudgeon, but I love all the hustle and bustle surrounding the Christmas holiday. I know holidays are tough for many folks, but for others they are a time of celebration and family.
For me, it’s sort of a mixed bag, especially this year. But none of that is my point. The question I’m asking you and me is, “As we look at the nativity scene, do we retain some of the wonder of the Magi?”
Do we look at the tiny, helpless baby and feel the mystery and majesty he represents? Do we ponder the awesome choice he made, exchanging the power of heaven for the humility of a stable? Do remind ourselves, just for a moment, that all our reading and study is insufficient, that we truly do not understand?
At least for me, that’s where worship begins. No sense worshiping something I understand completely.
When I encounter something incomprehensible, like a baby who loved the world enough to save it – the only response can be worship.
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Please continue to pray for the kids at the Home of Hope. This has been an especially difficult year politically for the region in which they live. The kids and their caretakers need our continued prayers, and of course our financial support.