I heard a great story about a fire fighter who refused to get swept up in the drama surrounding emergencies that his truck responded to. The fire fighter would meet people who were (understandably) distraught and overwhelmed by crises. He’d tell them, “This is an emergency for you, but it is not an emergency for my team. We successfully remedy situations like this every day. We are here to bring order to the chaos.”
In a way, that attitude illustrates how God approached crises in the world at Christmas. Sin and death were an indeed emergency for humanity, but not for Jesus. He came to bring order to our chaos – not get swept up in it.
The Gospel of Luke describes it well. God sends angels announcing the birth of the Son of God. The first thing they tell Zechariah, Mary and the Shepherds is this: “fear not,” (Luke 1:13,30; 2:10). In other words, “This is an emergency for you, but it is not an emergency for God. God is in control and God has come to bring order to the chaos.”
As you begin the Christmas season, remember that Jesus is not a part of all the emergencies that pop up around the holidays. In fact, Jesus is here, offering hope and peace and joy and love to His people. As you remember that, you will find meaning in the holidays that runs far deeper than busy calendars and complicated family dynamics. You will also find a God who extinguishes the figurative fires of the holiday season.
No comments:
Post a Comment