I wish.
I wish that I could enter into your darkness. I wish that I could heal your pain and shine some light on those nights when you cry deep into the darkness. I wish that I was the full moon for you; or even better, the light of the day. I wish that I could shine the divine light that creates new life onto your skin and make everything better.
I wish.
But, like John the witness, I am not the light. I cannot shine on you or make anything new. No sores will be healed through me. I am not the creator of life. I am not the giver of new life. But, I can point to the one who is.
He is the one who shined on those first wisps of creation and gave them life. He is the one who can enter into your locked room at night and provide the light of joy on those dark nights.
Behold, Christ the light!
I wish.
I wish that I could free you from your own brokenness. I wish the failures of the past would not hold you back quite so much. I wish that you would not dwell on them again and again. I wish that you could be free of your failures. I wish that you would feel truly free to be a child of God. I wish that the sin that keeps tripping you up would simply go away. I wish that I could be a burnt offering for your sin. I wish that your failures would burn with me and fade into the ether.
I wish.
But, like John the witness, I am not the Lamb of God. I am not the one who can take away your sin. I am not the one who can free you from the damage of the past. I am not the one who can wipe your slate clean. Though I can declare forgiveness, I am not the one who can grant it in a way that will actually bring you peace. I do not take away the sins of the world. I cannot even take away my own sin! I am just as broken as you. But, I can point to the one who can.
He is the one who promises to take away sin and make you new again. He is the one who promises to be our last Passover lamb, who once and for all time passes over our brokenness and says, “You are forgiven. Now, just let it go.” He is the one who can save us from ourselves.
Behold, the Lamb of God!
I wish.
I wish that I could bring the holy to you. I wish that I could make this Christmas sink into your heart in a way that the past ones could not. I wish that I could just make it a rule that you believe, and you would just do it. I wish that you could know the joy of faith, the peace that passes all understanding, and the hope that still inspires the nations. I wish that you could feel rooted deeply into something greater than yourself. I wish you would be able to sense the spark of divine presence in your very soul. I wish you had great faith.
I wish.
But, like John the witness, I am not the one who can give you the Holy Spirit. I cannot strengthen the divine spark in you. I cannot blow oxygen on it and make it blaze gloriously within your soul, burning with colors of love and faith. I cannot make it outshine all the stars, or outshine the holiday projections on the houses, or even outshine the lit up, air filled Santas and Frosties. I cannot do any of that. I cannot fill you with the Holy Spirit. But, I can point to the one who can.
He is the one who created that divine spark in your soul in the first place. He is the one who can blow on it, fanning the flames of divine, holy love. He is the one who can fill you with the joy, the peace, and the hope of the faithful. He is the one who can create great faith where there once was little.
Behold, the Son of God who baptizes with the Holy Spirit!
After-all, none of us are the saviors of the world, nor are we even saviors our own lives. None of us are self-made successes. None of us created the greatness of our lives out of nothing. None of us.
And, if we think that we are great because of our own efforts…if we think that we are basically wonderful, sinless people who need no one to save us, then we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
The truth is: the best any of us can do is point to the one who can save.
Like the Christmas trees, the best we can do is point up to the light of the world.
Like the shepherds, the best we can do is point our bodies toward the light and walk in that direction.
Like the wise men, the best we can do is point our faces to the ground and humbly offer up the gifts that we bear to the light of the world.
Like John the witness, the best we can do is point to Jesus Christ, the light of the world.
In all we do and say, we can point to the one who died for the world, and also raises the world to new life; Jesus Christ.
So, have faith, not in me, but in Jesus. Have trust, not in me, but in Jesus. Have hope, not in me, but in Jesus.
My own body will fail and disappoint. My own body can love you, but in an imperfect and faltering way. My own body cannot give you new life. My own body can only point to the one who can, the light of the world, Jesus Christ. But, that is more than enough. Being pointers who direct others to God is more than enough.
The fact that I can only point to the light of the world means one thing though; you may have to wait. I cannot make anything happen in your life right now. I cannot make your pain go away right now. I cannot make your guilt evaporate this instant. I cannot make joy fill your heart this holiday season. That is up to God and God’s timing.
Thus, you may need to wait.
But, that is what this season of Advent before Christmas is all about is it not? It is about waiting, with hope. It is about waiting with faith. It is a season of trust. But, we do not trust in ourselves or our neighbors. Rather, we trust in the Lord.
Wait for the Lord, be strong, have faith. Our Lord is near.
No comments:
Post a Comment