Thought for Today
1 Samuel 1:8 Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?"
Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief.
Luke 18:23 But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich.
Luke 24:17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad.
This coming Sunday, during worship, we will light the third Advent candle, the pink candle of Joy. It is easy to forget that amidst all the joy and celebration of this season, there is also sadness. “The Christmas Holiday Effect, the Holiday Death Spike – whatever you wanna call it, the spike in mortality rates during the festive period is a documented phenomenon first observed by sociologist David P. Phillips while analysing death certificates. Subsequent studies have corroborated this finding. This pattern is consistent across all age groups, except for children, and encompasses various conditions such as heart disease, respiratory issues, and cancer.” (www.willed.com.au)
Irrespective of any imputed cause or causes and disregarding the exception about children, for some of us, the joy of the season is tinged with an element of sadness. For our family, today is a day of sadness. Our youngest grandson died on December 13th.
I find it interesting that the word ‘sad’ only appears 9 times in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Those 4 verses above seem especially apropos to me this morning. Especially ,“Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief.”
Have you ever wondered about the emotional state of Mary and Joseph as they traveled to Bethlehem? They were living in an occupied territory under the rule of foreign leaders and subjugated by foreign troops. They were mandated by those foreigners to undertake an arduous journey late in Mary’s third trimester and during the winter. A computer search tells me that the average winter temperature range for Tel Aviv, Israel in December is 69o – 51oF (www.bing.com). That same search tells me that the record low was 37oF. That doesn’t seem very cold by New England standards. But, imagine how it felt without our modern thermal underwear, without L. L. Bean boots, without thermal lined, heavy coats.
This was the anticipated birth of their first child. Even at home in Nazareth, the birth would have been met with trepidation. Luke records a lot about Mary’s experience with the angel forecasting her pregnancy, with her visit to her cousin; but, Luke doesn’t tell us much about the trip itself.
We do know about their arrival in Bethlehem. We all know about, “Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Was Mary sad that her first born son had to be brought into this world in a stable? Did the surroundings take away from the joy of hearing their first child cry? It has been more than 10 years since our own first child was born. Many more. Yet, I cannot forget the joy at first seeing her, the joy of that birth. I cannot imagine that either Mary or Joseph felt anything other than joy.
Our church in Houston was gifted with a wonderful choir filled with many talented singers. There was one particularly gifted gentleman who annually sang a particular solo during worship, Mary Did You Know? It is a hauntingly beautiful song filled with the questioning wonder of the birth we anticipate during Advent. The questions are framed around all the events of Jesus’ life. The last verse is much on my mind today, “Did you know/That your baby boy/Is Heaven’s perfect Lamb?/This sleeping child you’re holding/Is the great I am.”
Sadness and sorrow are an integral part of the joy we share this season and through all seasons. They are part of what it means to be human and a child of God. But, they are neither the totality nor the end result of what it means to be a child of God. We know that “John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Life eternal with God and with Jesus in that place specially prepared for each of us.
Stay safe, know the joy beyond the sadness and sorrow, trust God,
Pastor Ray