As I look back on 2018, I almost want to hang my head as the
untoward events of the year seem to immediately leap out and demand a
predominate place in the seat of memories. This past year has given us tons of
negative material at which we had to take notice as our attention was held many
times in the inescapable grip of the unbelievable. Much of the violence that
gripped our city at the beginning of the year continued on, and even though at a
lessening scale throughout the year, became the new nor at which to become
accustomed to in daily life. I still find it outside the realm of comprehension
that we had a public safety ambush that ended in two lives lost and several
bullet-riddled police cruisers. It was a year that left more persons working in
public safety wanting body armor than ever before. We watched as soft body
armor transitioned into the desire for plate carriers. Violence was not the
lone marker of the year though…
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
We still watch on as a nation becomes
more and more divided over issues. A nation born from the desire to be free to
speak now burns with a fire on both sides of the fence to curtail any language
that offends either side. Religion is at the forefront of this battle with each
side seeking only to have their belief recognized as the only one that should
be free from restriction. I am not immune from this. I too want no restriction
on the practices of my faith, but at the same time wish to be free from recognizing
the practices of another if it means the curtailing of my own. Civil discourse
has in many cases been lost to the wind and replaced with redefinition and
rhetoric. The issues are many and the solutions seem to be few. Some issues,
even though less engaging, seem to be there for the sole purpose of our
politician to have a bone on which to chew come platform and election time.
These are the ones that never seem to find a solution… healthcare “reform” (for
lack of a better term), education (especially in the area of standardized
assessment testing) and immigration. Do you ever notice how these never seem to
go away but just hang in the background while costs related to them seem to
skyrocket? And through all of this, telemarketer phone calls are simply allowed
to intrude and insert whatever undesired message they will force upon us…
multiple times each day. They seem to be the only ones with real freedom of
speech (and intrusion).
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
The slow, subtle onslaught of the attack
on our families and lifestyle. In many cases, parents are forced to argue with their
own children over what is right, wrong, wholesome and gentile. The family unit
is no longer what it was in the past. Not only is the family dinner table in
many cases lost to time but the desire to be there seems to be dead as well.
Losing a “friend” on a social media platform is now far more of an impact than
losing a real friend which lessens the value of both. Friendship is now just an
electronic switch to be toggled on and off. Standards are now fuzzy things
designed for in the moment interpretation. “Attention” is the real thing today.
It comes in two forms ready for the picking of your desire. The first is that
of seeking attention. All eyes must be on me for I am the center of the
universe (or so we think until humiliated). The second is for that which holds
our attention. People are no longer good for that purpose. People have been
replaced by Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and Snap-chat. People are now
distant annoying things. Humility and caring has been lost. Many are material
and step on others for their own humor. Many have even succumbed to believing
the lies they tell themselves and others. Shortcuts to obtaining that which you
want must certainly be good, right?
O come, Thou Day-Spring
Come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to
flight
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
My family has been beaten by the world
this year. We started out at the end of last year on a really precarious
footing. We had a break in at the old property which we have been trying to get
off our plate. There was quite a bit of damage and disruption that is still
ongoing dealing with that issue (not to mention the negative financial impact
of having two homes… there is however the gift of God that will soon bring this
chapter to a close). Then a very expensive repair to the new house to prevent
erosion and a wall collapse. Medical issues abounded this year, with my wife’s
condition that we thought was under control bounding back full force this year
(and it has taken a year to re-identify, trial medications, find quality practitioners
and start to get it back under control). Time at home has been at a premium as
all have activities and growth opportunities. Family member’s decisions will
play out to have an impact on all as well. Now the furnace seems to lean toward
dying as well so we will see how that plays out. But through all there has been
a safety net which has appeared out of nowhere to assist and keep us from
falling farther.
O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
There have been the good things this
past year. The work of my career has been fruitful and much has been done. I can
end the year filling good there as it was busy and productive even though there
is always much to be done. I have taken the time to learn new things and find
different methods to communicate what I have learned so that the wealth of
knowledge can be spread (apparently that was not through this blog this year as
I failed dismally there on frequency of content). People managed to sneak a few
things in on me this year that were real surprises as well (or maybe with age
my guard has somewhat lost its edge). I must look at the fact that the house is
still standing, the cars are still running and a new lawn mower was made
available at an unbelievable price (as quoted in the movie Zombieland, “Rule
#32 – Enjoy the Little Things”). As it even turns out, none of our Christmas ornaments were actually stolen in the break in at the old house (including the Star Trek ones I have collected over the years). We have about two cords of firewood for the
wood burner. We are gainfully employed. We have had assistance when and if it
was truly needed, always appearing at the right time. My fear is that we will
miss the opportunity to rise up and help when needed so I am always looking
that direction. There were gifts under the tree, fewer in number than in the
past, but even the youngest in the family realizes that under the tree is not
where the gifts really are…
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did’st give the Law
In cloud, and majesty and awe
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
So with Advent and Christmas, which will
be followed quickly by a New Year and Epiphany, we are directed back to the
start of the Gospels, and even before that to the Old Testament Prophets.
Isaiah 9, Isaiah 11, and Micah 5:2 and many others tell us how the opening
chapters of the Gospel of our Lord will run… and it plays out as foretold. As
it played out in the life of Christ it still plays out today. No one at the
time could understand what He really came to do… until he did it. Christian
authors and church fathers have spent two thousand years trying to get people
to understand. In a way we are no different today. It doesn’t fit the logic of
our minds. It doesn’t fit our desires. It just doesn’t fit. The cross and empty
tomb… the body and the blood… the binding of sins… is all folly to our worldly
hearts. Yet it is as easy to sense in reality of how we continue on and will
continue on after death as the wind that blows across our face yet we question
not from where the wind comes (John 3:8).
Whether it is 2017 or 2019… it does not really matter. Our
lot is not solely in this world but in what has been done in it and outside of
it by Christ Alone.
Regardless of what happens. Regardless of how earthly things
turn out. We need to take joy in the
The words of Isaiah 53, written over 700 years before Christ’s
birth, describe His death and the fact that it was for our transgressions as He was
blameless.
We cling to an ancient belief and we cling to it with our
very existence because:
“For the word of the
cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is
the power of God.” – I Corinthians 1:18
With that… it is late in the evening following Christmas
Day. I am sitting alone looking at the lights of the Christmas tree in a dark
room while the dog looks up at me. He wants part of my Christmas cookie.
I shall sit and contemplate the good and bad in the world
for a few more minutes before I retire.
And give the dog the corner off the cookie…
Come Lord Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I am always open to discussion and views. Please remember to be polite. Thanks!