I keep wondering: Does the intransigence of the politicians and legislators of this nation somehow portend a dark chapter ahead for this government? That’s hardly an uncommon thought, given the headlines these days out of Washington. But could it be that the political and ideological gridlock we are witnessing plays into a much deeper and darker narrative than the public or its leaders realize? And if so, how? One of these days the game of political chicken will backfire. In the current financial showdown, each side has been banking on their opponents’ unwillingness to be labeled the cause of this nation’s fiscal crisis. Thus each party has bet the last dregs of their already historically low approval ratings on the hope that their opponents will blink just before the deadline and sue for a compromise. But what has surprised observers this time around is that neither side is blinking. It is growingly apparent that both political camps are willing to risk a head-on collision rather than back down. Period. So what lies ahead? Only God knows, since it is more than clear our leaders don’t. While it isn’t the purpose of this Fourth Watch blog to handicap all the possible outcomes of rapidly unfolding current events on this planet or in this nation—be they political, social, economic, ecological, or religious—this blog does seek to keep a careful, watchful eye on the those events for one simple reason—Jesus commanded His followers to do so: “‘But the exact day and hour [of His return]? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable. It’s like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch. So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. You don’t want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. I say it to you, and I’m saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch’” (Mark 13:32-37 The Message). Did you catch that? “Keep a sharp lookout.” “Stay at your post.” “Keep watch.” Thus the mission of this Fourth Watch blog. Two asteroids, one papal resignation and a government in gridlock, all within the last few days—anybody want to handicap the odds of all three turning out to be apocalyptic indeed? As any social scientist will remind us, all it takes for a society or a government or a nation to undergo a rapid paradigm shift is the injection of a single catastrophic event. Knock out the last vestiges of personal and collective security, and all bets are off. History has played out that scenario too many times to be wrong. So Jesus is right. “Keep a sharp lookout.” “Stay at your post.” “Keep watch.” And if you’re a follower of His, that is an order.
Pastors' Blog
By Pioneer Pastors
Remember the story about Chicken Little, meandering down the road when an acorn fell from the oak tree, striking her on the head? Panicked, she ran down the road squawking to all who would listen: “The sky is falling, the sky is falling, and we must tell the king!” Chicken Little’s cry in Henry Penny’s children’s tale has become a familiar idiom for hysteria over disaster that really isn’t imminent. Last Friday our terrestrial home in the solar system experienced (within less than twelve hours) the direct strike of a meteor in Russia and the near miss of a second asteroid, 2012 DA14. Since the trajectories of the two orbiting pieces of giant space rock were vastly different, scientists have been quick to dismiss any connection between the two outer space visitors. The school-bus sized meteor that exploded 18-32 miles above the Ural mountains near Chelyabinsk is now the star of so many YouTube videos that it feels like we know each other. Streaking into our atmosphere at a speed of 19 miles a second (bullets travel at four miles per second), this meteor (meteors are asteroids that enter earth’s atmosphere; meteorites are meteors that actually strike the earth as this one eventually did) disintegrated with energy 30 times the force of Hiroshima’s nuclear bomb! Thus the sonic boom and the 1200 injured from the shockwave-induced flying glass. 2012 DA14 achieved its own distinction a few hours later by becoming the “closest-ever predicted approach to Earth for an object this large,” according to NASA. It’s more leisurely speed of 5 miles per second brought this half-a-football-field sized asteroid to within 17,200 miles of our home. Just fifteen minutes difference in the conjunction of earth’s orbit with this asteroid, and we would have suffered a direct hit, estimated by some scientists as capable of devastating an area larger than the city of London. Chicken Little was certainly right about this: anytime the sky falls, we’re in trouble! Yes, but aren’t the various space agencies tracking these foreign objects that speed by us? In fact they are now monitoring 10,000 NEOs (near earth objects) in our solar system. And astronomers are confident they have a handle on every asteroid 19 miles in size and larger (those with the potential to cause global catastrophe and even mass extinction). They are also confident they are tracking between 90-95% of asteroids a half mile in size. But here’s the kicker—reduce the asteroid to the size of 2012 DA14 (50 yards) or less, and they are sure of only 2% of these! I.e., “there could be hundreds of thousands of these smaller asteroids waiting to be discovered” (www.guardian.co.uk/science/across-the-universe. . .), hopefully in time. “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” Well, not quite. But the strange coincidence of two outer space visitors on the same day is a rather sobering reminder to Earth that life as we know it could be forever altered in a split second by a streak of blinding light across our skies. Not to be forgotten is the somber prediction of Jesus that before His return to earth “the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26). The obvious point for all of us who live in the “fourth watch” of earth’s history is to find in the person of Jesus our reason for living today and our “blessed hope” for tomorrow. After all, He is the Star of every apocalyptic prediction, the Promise behind every transpiring sign. No wonder His very next words are so buoyant with courage: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (v 28).
The world was stunned this past Monday morning when in his weekly meeting with Vatican cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation: “ . . . well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.” As the news bulletin circled the planet, church historians scrambled to find a precedent in Roman Catholic history. The most recent papal resignation, they have told us, was the abdication of Gregory XII in 1415 “to end a dispute with a rival claimant to the papacy” (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/11/us-pope-resigns-idUSBRE91A0BH20130211). Six centuries later the Church of Rome now faces the reality of electing a new pope while his predecessor is still very much alive. What role will Benedict have in the election of his successor? None, the Vatican responds, adding that Benedict’s papal symbols including his ring will be destroyed as would have been the case had he died in office. Instead he will live out the rest of his days in a monastery on the edge of the Vatican gardens. His successor? Already the ubiquitous handicapping of papal candidates is preoccupying the news media and cyberspace. The wait will not be long, since the Vatican indicates that the new pope will be crowned by Easter, March 31. And for students of Bible prophecy what does this nearly unprecedented papal resignation portend? I imagine that over the next few weeks renewed examination of Revelation’s cryptic prophecy in chapter seventeen will focus on “he must continue a short time” (v 10), leading some no doubt to identify Benedict with that phrase and thus conclude there is but one ruler left before the return of Christ. Already some in the press are drawing attention to the purported prophecies of the Catholic mystic Malachy (1139 AD), who apparently predicted with (some say) uncanny detail 112 popes from his day to the end of the world. With Benedict being the 111th Pontiff in Malachy’s prophecy, supporters believe the 112th pope, predicted to be named Petrus Romanus, will be the final one (http://www.pakalertpress.com/2013/02/12/petrus-romanus-900-year-old-prophecy-says-next-pope-will-oversee-end-of-days/). What shall we believe? First of all, the Reformation principle of Sola scriptura (the Bible and the Bible alone) must be the foundation of any prophetic interpretation. The Bible remains its own best interpreter—go deep within it. Secondly, be cautious about transforming immediate headlines into Bible predictions. In this age of instant cyberspace news and commentary, be slow to link sensational events to apocalyptic fulfillment. Third, avoid the “lone ranger” interpretations. While every prophetic interpretation begins with someone’s earnest study, faithful interpretation and genuine fulfillment will bear collective scrutiny. Fourth, always remember that God’s mission includes more than you and me. I.e., fulfilling Bible prophecy is not about getting the insiders saved, but rather the earnest reminder that all seven billion of earth’s inhabitants are the passionate object of Heaven’s rescue mission. While you pray “Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” work as never before to lead lost people to their Savior. And finally, let every headline be a reminder that the return of our Lord is near. New Testament Christianity has always lived with the expectancy of Jesus’ Second Coming—“Behold, I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:12). It is called the “blessed hope” for a reason! So let your heart exult in His hope.
What a fitting text our Black History Committee has chosen for the theme of this Black History Sabbath and month—the words of our Lord Himself: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). One hundred-fifty years ago Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring: “And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons. . . . And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God” (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/transcript.html). A century later, in a speech now immortalized by history, Martin Luther King, Jr., cried out to the masses gathered at the marbled foot of the Lincoln Memorial: “Free at last, free at last—thank God Almighty we are free at last!” But the sad reality remains that fifty years later we are still not “free at last.” Not as Black Americans, not as white Americans, not as Latino Americans, not as Asian Americans, not as Native Americans, not as Adventist Americans. Shackled by social and cultural norms that still separate us, we gather today in worship. Shackled by ecclesiastical and judicatory norms that still divide the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States, we gather today in worship. Shackled by the bondage of our addictions, our dysfunctions, our sins, we gather today in worship. We gather today in worship because our only hope resides in the promise of Christ: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” What other hope can break the chains of our cultural and societal bondage? What other hope can break the chains to the tired arguments of the past that keep the Adventist Church in “separate but equal” division? What other hope can break the chains upon our souls? On this Black History Sabbath that is surely more than about a history black and white, how fitting that the promise of Jesus is the prayer we are called to pray. “O Christ—have mercy on the church—have mercy on this people—and please, dear God, set us free, set us free at last.” Amen.
Have you been following the debate about change—the change in your pocket, that is? In order to save money President Obama is recommending that the composition of the U.S. penny be reconsidered. All because of a long word nobody can spell, let alone pronounce: “seigniorage” (and that’s not Spanish for “Mr. Age”). Seignorage is the technical term that describes the difference between the value of a currency and its production cost. And right now our copper one cent piece (which is no longer copper, but zinc) costs 2 cents to produce. That’s why our neighbor to the north has decided to withdraw the Canadian penny from circulation, beginning February 4. Should the U.S. follow suit? Two thirds of Americans polled say No. Why such loyalty to an overpriced piece of zinc? Beyond the “what would we give to the Salvation Army?” quip, there is the fear that since many prices end in a 9, removal of the penny would be the equivalent of a “rounding tax” on consumers that one study suggests could be as high as $1.5 billion over a five-year period. And besides, if we got rid of the penny, we would have to mint more nickels, and a U.S. nickel now costs 10 cents to produce. But then there’s another study that concludes “getting rid of the penny could save $730 million per year by eliminating the time customers and cashiers deal with the coin in cash transactions” (TIME, February 4, 2013). So what’s a nation to do? What’s a God to do? Surely some have suggested to Him that the seven-billion-plus humans on this planet are hardly worth their original purchase price. Like the penny that in 1913 had “almost 25 times the purchasing power it does today,” even so the value of a single human being has surely plummeted beyond a reasoned defense for its salvation. But we humans are hardly pennies in the Treasury of Heaven, are we? Not if the worth of a single human soul is measured by the crimson price paid out on the auction block of Calvary. If the Good Shepherd was willing to lay down His life for just one hopelessly, miserably lost sheep, then the commensurate value of that one lamb is catapulted beyond calculation, is it not? “. . . He made a gift of such magnitude that it can never be said that God could have made His gift, His donation to the human family, greater. His gift defies computation” (Our High Calling 28). So if God so values the world—one lost human at a time—that He gave His Only Son, then should we not so value even just one lost soul—be it roommate, neighbor, classmate, peer or complete stranger? In seven days “iPerceive: A Future You Can Count On” begins (see www.iperceive.org for details). And if you can’t think of one lost friend or stranger to bring, would you please pray that Heaven will turn this short series into a salvation event for every lost soul who comes? Forget saving pennies—it’s people that are priceless.
So now that the pomp and circumstance of the Inauguration are past and the last remnants of paper flags and confetti have been swept away, what shall we learn? The frequently repeated reminder about the peaceful transition of government in this land is worth restating, I suppose. And the old adage about memorizing your lines was proven true in the President’s momentary slip in repeating the oath, giving comfort to all of us who have done the same. But the music—it was majestic, wasn’t it?—by any standards, one could argue. The U.S. Marine Corp Band, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson. And then there was Beyoncé’s rendition of the national anthem to close it all. Buoyant with energy and confidence, the young singer belted out the familiar “Star Spangled Banner.” And all was well. Until somebody suggested that in fact she was lip-syncing with a recording of herself, a recording that included the accompaniment of the Marine Corp Band. Lip-syncing? You know, singing along with yourself, so to speak. Google the story and you’ll read a host of opinions, including some who say the band itself wasn’t really accompanying the singer, just moving their fingers and hands and lips. Just like Beyoncé. But does it really matter? No. Singers have done it a thousand times before (for a host of reasons, including feeling ill), and they will surely do it again. But the act of singing along with yourself does provide a current events segue (the weekly theme of this Fourth Watch blog) to an ancient concept that still matters. Jesus once gave a definition of what it means to be a disciple: “‘A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher’” (Luke 6:40). His point? If you want to be a disciple, seek to become like your master. And if your Master if the Lord Jesus Christ, then the goal of anyone who desires to follow Him is to be like Him. It’s been that way for millennia—the young followers of sages and prophets and masters have ever sought to become like their leader. Jesus says it is to be so for those of us who choose to follow Him. I like the way Desire of Ages describes it: “Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple.” “Let Him be reflected in [your] character and manifested in [your] life.” (826) Then you won’t be singing along with yourself—why make yourself your highest standard? You’ll be singing along with Him—and it will be His voice that will be heard through you. And when the song is over, He will be the One they’ll be talking about—which, of course, is what every disciple wants in the first place.
It’s Sunday evening. Tomorrow I fly to the East Coast where the General Conference is convening the first meeting of the new Theology of Ordination Study Committee (TOSC). These 102 men and women from around the world will gather for four three-day meetings over the next two years. Our task will be to prayerfully examine what the Bible teaches about ordination and the role of both men and women in the gospel ministry, come to a conclusion at the end of the two-year study, and recommend a course of action to the leadership of the world church. These church leaders will subsequently submit a recommendation to delegates of the world church gathered in 2015 at the quinquennial General Conference session. What prayer should we be praying? I am drawn to Jesus’ prayer on the eve of His death. “‘Holy Father, protect them [His disciples/His church] by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one’” (John 17:11 NIV). He had much He could have been interceding to the Father about—the safety of His disciples in the impending clandestine arrest and kangaroo trial He was facing, the global expansion of the fledgling movement He was leaving behind, the triumph of the new theology that would burst the seams of Judaism. But instead, four times in that single prayer, Christ pleads with the Father “that they may be one” (John 17:11, 21-23). Our unity was very much on the suffering heart of the Savior. Does His prayer for unity—“that they may be one”—imply that all His disciples would always “be one” as to their understanding of the will of God, even the Word of God? The subsequent events of the early church chronicled in the Book of Acts are sufficient, inspired evidence to conclude that the divine gift of unity is not premised upon unanimous agreement. Paul and Barnabas agreed to disagree. The church council in Acts 15 began with major disagreements. And yet throughout Acts as they humbly submitted to Christ, the bond of His unity continued to prevail—even when they disagreed. What does that mean for this new study committee? In the record of the early church there is surely embedded the promise that the unity of Jesus can prevail in our own community of faith as we seek agreement in the midst of our disagreement. Think of the witness, if our prayers for unity within the TOSC and the wider world church were answered! “Unity in diversity among God’s children—the manifestation of love and forbearance in spite of difference of disposition—this is the testimony that God sent His Son into the world to save sinners. . . . This unity is the most convincing proof to the world of the majesty and virtue of Christ, and of His power to take away sin. The powers of darkness stand a poor chance against believers who love one another as Christ has loved them, who refuse to create alienation and strife, who stand together, who are kind, courteous, and tender-hearted, cherishing the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. . . . In unity there is a life, a power, that can be obtained in no other way” (Sons and Daughters of God 286). So would you please join me in claiming the promise of unity in Jesus’ prayer? After all, when people as diverse as you and I, are bound together in unity by a radical love for one another, what could be more convincing of the gospel’s power to transform and elevate fallen humanity than that? For this reason alone unity is not an option for the church—it is Christ’s mandate, His passionate prayer.
I realize not everybody believes in “global warming.” And it isn’t the point of this blog to plunge into that academic and/or scientific debate. But the flurry of headlines this past week over our nation’s record temperature deserves some reflection. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that 2012 was the hottest year on record for the United States. According to their calculations the average daily temperature in our nation last year was 55.3 degrees—which, as it turns out, is one degree higher than the previous record in 1998, and 3.2 degrees more than the average temperature of the 20th century. Apparently the rise of even one degree is startling, given that national averages usually rise or fall in tenths of a degree. Coupled with this headline is a report a week ago that snowfall this season is already lagging. According to climatologists, recovery from last year’s withering drought necessitates at least eight feet of snow this winter, with some estimates placing our snow need as high as 150+ inches. Will we get it? Fifty degrees this weekend doesn’t make this winter seem very promising! Even the mighty Mississippi River is protesting. Some officials are worried that because of the drop in river levels, barge traffic south of St. Louis could possibly be halted. The Army Corp of Engineers is dredging the river this winter to keep it passable for deep-keeled vessels. Then there’s all the talk last year about Antarctica and Greenland experiencing unprecedented ice sheet melting. But review the various studies posted over the last couple months and it’s clear scientists aren’t agreed on the magnitude of that loss, or even its causes. As these weather headlines come and go, I must confess that tucked away in the back of my mind is that apocalyptic description of an endtime earth in Revelation: “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat” (Revelation 16:8-9). I’m certainly not suggesting that this spate of weather headlines is proof we are experiencing the fourth plague! But it is intriguing that an apocalyptic description of earth at the end of time is not one of a new spreading Ice Age, but rather a depiction of intensifying and destructive solar heat. All of which is simply a reminder that all of us earth children are truly dependent on the Lord of Nature for our daily sustenance and survival on this planet. Our nearest star and the seasons it regulates are under His omnipotent control. And when one day earth becomes the last battleground between the dark knight and the Morning Star, for His friends God promises: “The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night” (Psalm 121:6). So let the weather patterns continue to perplex meteorologists. Whatever 2013’s temperatures turn out to be, our hope and trust this New Year is in the One who used to walk on the storms when He was here.
I found CNN.com’s departing religion editor Dan Gilgoff’s observations this week insightful. His final blog before joining the National Geographic team lists “5 things I’ve learned” from his blogging on religion for CNN these last few years. Can we learn something from what he’s learned? (http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/31/my-take-5-things-i-learned-editing-the-belief-blog/): 1. “The faith/meaning angles off breaking news can yield meaningful, important stories.” He discusses the recent Connecticut school massacre. “Trying to make sense of seemingly senseless deaths and suffering is a fundamental human struggle.” And when he reported how people were struggling with the “Where was God?”, his blog elicited nearly 8,000 comments. The point? Irrespective of their religious persuasion (or the lack of it), people are eager to talk about belief and God and life’s meaning. Which means that you and I don’t have to hold back our convictions or conversations about faith and God, especially in a time of national tragedy. People want to talk—and that’s the right entre for your witness with stranger or neighbor. 2. “The explosion of people with no religion will be a huge story in this century, and the news media have only begun to explore its many implications.” As I noted here in a previous Fourth Watch blog, the religious “nones” are a growing slice of the American demographic—men, women, young adults who indicate “none” when surveyed about their religion. The church—and I’m thinking of my own congregation—cannot afford to hurry through the New Year assuming that everyone around it has an ear or a heart for God. More and more do not. What are we doing to connect with these who are building what Gilgoff calls “a post-religious existence.” 3. “Religion reporting shouldn’t be an inside game.” His point with this lesson is simply that an interest in the religion/faith angle of a story isn’t the curious domain for only the faithful. More and more political, social, even entertainment and sports stories are woven with the stuff of faith. Take, for example, the recent presidential campaign, which clearly bore the trappings of the candidates’ faith practice. To ignore the faith/religion angle to news events is to risk missing a defining DNA of the individuals or events. For those who believe, locating the faith nexus is another helpful entre in conversing with this generation about God. Look for the angles. 4. “The news media isn’t anti-religion.” While you and I may have concluded otherwise long ago, Gilgoff’s lesson deserves some reflection. His point is that news organizations like CNN are actually “fascinated by religion because it yields stories brimming with meaning, controversy and powerful characters.” Reporters and media outlets are not by definition anti-God or anti-religion (though there are plenty within their ranks who reflect that bias). Could it be that we will be open to fresh insights about the society Christ has called us to reach if we aren’t so quick to dismiss news and media commentators and commentaries as implicitly against God and religion. 5. “In the world of digital journalism, your voice matters more than ever.” Gilgoff ends his final religion blog with an appeal to his readers to voice their convictions. “With the proliferation of reader comments, social media and instantaneous metrics on what our audiences are clicking and how they’re responding, your choices and opinions are shaping our coverage more than ever.” Not a bad suggestion for Jesus’ third millennial disciples, is it? Gilgoff goes on, “Some of our best content from the last year was more about conversations happening around the news than about the news itself. We choose to do certain stories and skip others partly based on whether you’re engaged in those stories or not.” So as a believer don’t just blow away an urge to respond to a news event or a website/blog commentary. Your faith perspective in that collective cyberspace conversation could plant the seed that will germinate the quest for faith in reader far away. After all, who do you suppose created cyberspace in the first place? “You are My witnesses” (Isaiah 43:10).
On this day after December 21, 2012, the good news is we’re still here! Bands of New Agers, in particular, have been holding their collective breath as our civilization approached the fateful date: 4 Ahaw, 3 K’ank’in. That’s the date, the ancient long count Mayan calendars predicted, on which the sun would rise for the first time in 26,000 years at precisely the juncture of earth’s orbit with the giant inky rift in the Milky Way the Mayans called “Xibalba Be.” And at that moment of intersection (the winter solstice, 2012), the pent-up energy of the universe—having accumulated over a period of 13 baktuns (144,000-day cycles)—will discharge, these ancients calculated, and earth will face . . . . And frankly here the prophetic picture becomes murky with some Mayan authorities suggesting the predicted event to be an ushering into an age of glorious transformation, while others conclude the Mayans predicted a cataclysmic ending to this civilization. But irrespective of the various hypotheses, the reality is that you and are still here on this joyful Sabbath before Christmas. Which is no reason to belittle the ancient Mayans. According to a piece by Ed Dickerson in Signs of the Times magazine (December 2012), “the sophistication and complexity of the Mayan mathematics make their predictions difficult to ignore. Their mastery of mathematics—they were among the earliest to use the concept of zero—and their careful observation of celestial objects enabled them to construct calendars (17 in all) based on the movements of the sun, moon, several planets, and even ‘precession,’ the slight wobble in earth’s rotation that takes 25,800 years to complete!” (p 33) Two thousand years ago a band of Oriental sages—magi or wise men, as we remember them—engaged in their own celestial calculations. Pouring over the ancient script of the fourth book of Moses, they attempted to correlate the sudden appearance of a distant nighttime celestial body in their heavens with the prophecy of an early member of the magi named Balaam: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). Believing the night phenomenon they were witnessing to be linked to this mysterious prophecy, these magi set out to follow that star in search of the promised King, with perhaps less mathematical calculus or precision than the even more ancient Mayans. The Mayans and the magi—ancient precursors to bands of men and women today who still search the night heavens and wonder what the dark future will bring. The dark night rises, but so does the Morning Star. “I wonder as I wander out under the sky,” the Appalachian carol sings, “why Jesus the Savior did come for to die.” (Haven’t we wondered the same?) “ . . . for poor, ornery creatures like you and like I.” (The carol knows us too well.) “. . . I wonder as I wander out under the sky.” No wonder we have nothing to fear for the future, except that we forget how God has come to us in the past. As you light a candle this Christmas Eve and ponder the mystery of this God-coming, may the flickering promise that He shall come again, this Christ Child King, invade your heart and your calendar with the very best gift of all: hope.
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