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Day 20 - What I Learned in the Snowstorm

SunDec202009 PostedSunday, December 20, 2009 @ 10 AMByPatrick BourckelTaggedNo tags

Luke 2:8-15

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

I know that not everybody celebrates Christmas in the winter like we do in Maryland. Some people in the South or other countries in the Southern Hemisphere have Christmas traditions involving cookouts and pool parties. But I love to think about Christmas and winter together. It is so meaningful to me to celebrate Christmas near "the darkest night of the year," when the sun only shows its face for a brief nine hours or so. Isn't it neat to read about "the light of the world" shining on the "people living in the land of darkness" when it really is darker outside?

Another neat thing about winter is the potential for snow. We got quite a storm yesterday. Our services for today were cancelled, and everyone reacted to the great display of beauty and power. The lesson I get from snowstorms in relation to Christmas is this - God acts and we respond. There is no stopping a snowstorm. We can only wait and watch and clean up later.

In the same way, the shepherds got to see God act, and they responded. Just like a blinding blizzard, the angels appeared in the heavens and changed everything. When God acts, we try to contain or control or comprehend Him, but God reminds us: "...as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)"

So what then did the shepherds do? They responded. "Let us go to Bethlehem..." God's mercy and kindness and glory demand a response from his people. May we at Long Green be a people that respond. May we get up and leave our sheep and seek out what the Lord is making known to us. God has come as Savior in a blinding, brilliant way, and we must respond.

Advent Blogby We hope this series of readings and comments will help you prepare your mind and heart this advent season.