Everywhere people are gearing up for a truncated, if not solitary, Christmas Day. The Covid news keeps deteriorating. As of the past few days we’re suddenly aware of a Covid “variant” that has emerged in the UK. Yikes! Scores of countries are closing borders to any British attempts at entry. All this while Brexit is in final death throes.
It’s not inappropriate to refer to 2020 as an “apocalyptic” year, with more to come. We can try to mitigate but we can’t avoid the impact of sorrow on sorrows, not just in terms of Covid, but also convulsions of war, famine, and political upheavals.
Nevertheless we will prevail. History has its undulations but the human heart has deep resources of hope and joy. We can truly sing our belief that there are and will be continual “tidings of comfort and joy” in this sin stricken world.
Jesus is here. His spirit is present. His words resonate, “Come into me all you who are weary and heavily laden, and I will give you rest”. I’m weary. Are you? If so let us find rest in the Savior born in a stable, crucified on a Roman cross, dying and rising again for our salvation. The angels over those shepherds’ fields got it right. Our world, with all its woe still resounds with,” Peace on earth, good will to men”.
