Advent, Mourning and Praise

And in the middle of a winter solstice, when the world is coldest and darkest, God sends Himself, His Son, in the form of a tiny infant to be a light, partake in our suffering, and bring salvation for mankind.

​Wow. I heard these thoughts by Kirk Cameron on Christmas morning during a TV special, as I was crying on my mom's shoulder thinking about how much my dad loved Christmas, and how much I missed him. How much I still miss him. 

But then the mourning instantly turned to praise as I reflected on what that very morning represents for all of humanity. The day when Christ came--the day when Love came down. The day that the Jews spent centuries preparing and waiting for. And after 400 years of silence (the time between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament), Jesus comes. He comes to us fully God and fully man, from the womb of a virgin, a teenager, who was scrutinized for carrying a child outside of marriage. God loved us so much that he made Himself man to join us in our brokenness. To join in the brokenness His own mother must have felt when the people who knew her were not able to understand the significance of what was happening. He came to us in unique circumstances to spread a message of love and truth. To spread a message of hope. 

Christ came to comfort us in our weakness. He felt what we felt, so He was also able to fully empathize with us in our suffering. 

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When I think of the events that transpired the evening my dad passed away, I think about how much Christ loves us. My dad, lying in a hospital bed as weak and helpless as he was, down to 113 lbs, was a living representation of humanity. He represented the reason Christ came. He represented the fragility and weakness inside all of us that can only be made whole through Christ.

Myself and my family, we represented Christ in those final and precious moments. We loved without condition. We cried. We held him, fearing the thought of ever letting go. And I think that is exactly how Christ loves us, but even so much more than that. He weeps when we weep, He joins us in our praise and holds us and lifts us up in our suffering.

It is amazing how partaking in the raw experience of being present with someone in their deep suffering draws out this whole other side of you. Any earthly conditions leave, and you feel nothing but unconditional love for that person. The amazing thing is that the love and salvation Christ offers is not conditional. Not even for a moment. Salvation is freely given to those who accept Him as our Savior. He invites us in and draws us towards a life of eternity with Him, every moment of every day. Life is a series of us taking steps towards heaven. Each day we get closer and closer. And that is a beautiful thing. 

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​In every image of a father caring for their child, is the image of a perfect God caring for us in all of our imperfections. And to that, I say amen. He is faithful and always holds us close to Him. ​​