Merry Christmas

Darkness.

Oh, so much Darkness.

Blindness. Weariness. Brokenness. Death.

A world that is aching. Bleeding. Crying. Calling. Longing.

An empty world. Without meaning. Without hope.

A world of filth, dirt, grime.

Vile. Evil. Vulgar.

A world of shattered, broken, bleeding hearts.

Pain. Torture. Affliction.

Sorrow. Anguish. Despair.

Chained, bound, shackled. Imprisoned in a world of sin.

A world suffocating under the weight of its iniquities.

Striving, seeking, searching.

A world looking for a Savior. A Rescuer. A Messiah.

A world in need of Light.

A cry.

A baby’s cry.

In a tiny cave, a cry.

A baby’s cry that brings Light to the Darkness.

Sight to the Blind. Strength to the Weary.

Healing to the Broken. Life to the Dead.

A cry of Joy. Healing. Laughing. Singing.

A fulfilled world. With purpose. With hope.

A world of beauty, purity, innocence.

Holy. Cleansed. Sanctified.

A cry that heals, mends, holds a bleeding heart.

Rest. Comfort. Relief

Joy. Delight. Cheer.

A cry that shatters chains, sets the captives Free.

A breath that rips away the burden of transgression.

Encountering, Surrendering, Resting.

The cry of a Savior. A Rescuer. A Messiah.

The Light has come.

Luke 2:6-20- And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Matthew 27: 45-46, 50-51 – Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.