Comfort and Joy

Telling stories breathes life into them, habitations built with words instead of brick and mortar.  I remember as Christmas approached during my early childhood we would deck the halls, then my father would lift me into his arms and carry me around to see the dazzling ornaments, especially the ones too high for me to enjoy from afar.  He would talk about the meaning of the nativity, the angels, and the lights.  The wonder of traditions steeped in meaning instilled a deep sense of peace, joy and belonging – a sense of belonging to something far greater and profound than my tiny life, yet intimate, loving and near. And when I went to bed, visions of sugarplums danced in my head.  And lyrics to songs of joy, “let every heart prepare Him room”, started to form a habitation for Jesus Christ in my heart.

Over the years I recreated meaningful holidays for our girls as we have lived in other countries.  When they were young in Ukraine, we would sled and play in the snow, then get toasty by the fire with mugs of hot chocolate while singing carols by candlelight.  Ukraine is a magical place for children during the Christmas season because you celebrate Christmas twice.  We celebrated with our family and expat friends in December and with Ukrainian friends during Orthodox Christmas in January.  In recent years, one young Ukrainian woman was especially touched by the warmth of love and joyful celebration.

Lilia grew up without a father and decided to become an atheist as a girl because religion was devoid of meaning for her.  She stayed away from religious people, thinking they were irrelevant and dictatorial.  So she made a brave step one day to join our discussion group at a cafe just before the holiday season began.  She knew no one in the group, but fit in immediately.  Lilia possessed a sharp mind and wit, and was always ready to engage in our lively discussions about character, truth, and the meaning of life.  Whenever she would debate, she had the most winning smile.  I once mentioned to her that even if a person disagreed with her, they would love her smile.  

“Oh, but I am not usually this way,” she said.  “I am just so happy when I am here.  I never knew Christians could be so normal and talk about the questions I have about life in a real, meaningful way.”

We invited her to our Christmas party where we sang about the One who gives meaning to life.  And as the lights lit up the tree, she knew a light was beginning to illuminate her mind and heart for the first time.  “I am beginning to change how I view things,” she said one day.  “I know now that God is real.”  She began to see that the Christian creation, fall, redemption account made sense and shed light on her questions about life.  C. S. Lewis wrote that he believed in God “as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Building a relationship with Lilia, caring for her, and engaging her in the deep questions she had about life and God, was a supernaturally natural experience.  God touched her as only He can, but she felt the freedom to be accepted and cared for by us whether or not she accepted what we were saying.  

God is the ultimate Playwright who has written clues about Himself into the universe and into the intricacies of our hearts, and our stories begin to make sense in light of the wonderful miracle of His story we celebrate during this season. 

“ ‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ ” (which means “God with us”) Matthew 1:23

The Greatness of Goodness

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”    (Matt. 5:14)

The power of a good deed is sometimes underestimated. We often think only the most heroic deeds and individuals are worthy of mention. While reading “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” I often thought of the indomitable stand Churchill took against the aggressive evil of Hitler. A person of great courage, wit and leadership, he stated “a man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality.” As a leader, he took a stand against the greatest evil of his day and would not negotiate or back down. He did what he must.

But in the context of our daily lives, how often do people do what they must in spite of personal consequences, obstacles, dangers and pressures? The act of a person helping a man who had been robbed and injured may seem small, but Jesus considered it significant enough to use the parable of the good Samaritan as an example. In this biblical parable it was a member of the despised race of the day, a Samaritan, who helped a man who was left for dead by the roadside and not the two religious leaders who passed him by. The religious leaders probably talked about doing good deeds, but they were too busy or unaware to help someone in need. Or perhaps they thought they were above it. Our light shines against the dark backdrop of this world with all of its evil, problems and desperation through our ACTIONS, not just our words.

After relating the parable Jesus asked “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37)

We can follow the example of the Good Samaritan, who did the following:

1. He was aware of the person in need and was not too caught up in his own life to notice.
2. He helped the person in need, going out of his way to do so.
3. He took responsibility to follow through.
4. He committed his time and resources to help.

A poor boy from a remote mountain village ran into his burning house to rescue his younger brother from the flames. He suffered severe burns, but his family had no money for shoes and basic needs, let alone medical treatment. Through providing treatment, comfort and care the door to reaching many in his and other mountain villages opened to my friend Nadia in Ukraine. As a missionary in Asia and Eastern Europe, I have experienced firsthand how important our actions are in reaching people. The supremacy of Christ and the centrality of the Gospel are not only compatible with social responsibility, they are inseparable. In the western world as well, economic instability is creating a culture in greater need of personal, compassionate touch.

Such acts of mercy or compassion can be carried out by anyone. Acts of compassion are powerful and can provide opportunities to build relational bridges in nations rife with poverty, racial tension and injustice. When played out against the backdrop of evil, these simple acts are truly great and can open the door for opportunities to communicate the truth of God because we have demonstrated the love of God. But acts of compassion can cost us greatly because we become involved in the lives of the desperate and needy of this world. In so doing we identify with Christ and are strengthened by His love and grace, receiving much in return.

Silent Injustice

Injustice screams in silence

Because we deafen our ears

We stare, incredulous

And walk by

Disbelief blinding us from

An evil we can’t reconcile
With our dream bubble

Yet we create

A tempest in a teapot

Over traffic, delays, offenses

Mere trifles

Injustice, can you scream louder?

Because children are dying
I said, injustice can you scream louder?

Children are suffering,

Dying

Here in the devil’s playground