Where is the Joy?

Where is the Joy?

I was blessed with a weekend mini-vacation out west this past Friday-Sunday.  While vacations are a nice break and can, indeed bring their own kind of blessings, that is not the Joy I seek in life. In fact, vacations can be very stressful and tiring.  As a matter of fact, our plane landed in Omaha at 9:40 last night and we finally crawled into our bed around 1:45 this morning after making  the three hour trek back to Olathe.  One wouldn’t think a two hour time-difference would mess you up much, but I was really slow in waking up this morning.  I was not anticipating joy as a began my day.

But that which woke me was hearing an interview with Rev.Matt Crebbin from the Newtown Congregational Church (UCC).  Unless you have been cut off from society the last three days, you know of the horrible violence that struck the first graders and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary School, and the Today show was seeking to hear from him what message he had to share concerning this tragedy.

I was very impressed with the way in which he was respectful of other faiths, but at the same time sought to share with the world the nature of the Christian faith.  While some might say that he was weak for not stepping on the “third-rail-J-word” (Jesus) he did everything possible to make sure the world knows that our God is a loving God who is there for us, will listen to us, and will not be turned away from us when we cry out to him.

I also liked the way he pointed out that our God can take whatever we throw at him; pain, anguish, anger, frustration, guilt, and then replace them with Joy (and he mentioned the traditions of the “joy candle” of the .Advent Wreath).  Then he went on to point out that Joy is not happiness.  Joy is the comfort and knowledge that our Lord is ever with us, despite the goings-on of this world around us, or even our particular pain or suffering.

I won’t fault Rev. Crebbin for his interview—it was very cautious, but also very winsome.  I pray God would use his words to send people seeking hope to churches around the world this weekend.  And I pray that pastors the world over would share the Good News of Jesus with them.

And just was it that Good News?  That despite the fact that every person has sinned and has earned eternal death and separation from God, all sin and wrongful deed every person ever committed was paid for by Jesus the Christ.  He accomplished that forgiveness by his death once and for all on the cross, and rose from the dead three days later, to assure us of our eventual resurrection and eternal life with him and we know that it will be with God in heaven because he also ascended to that place a few weeks after his resurrection.

Is this world messed up?  Yes.  Is it God’s fault?  No.  Can we fix it?  No.  Will God fix it?  Yes, when he comes again to take us to a new heaven and a new earth.  Will everyone be there?  No, just those who believe (trust God) that this is true and that his love for them is complete—so complete that He would send his own Son into the world (what we call Christmas) so that He could grow up to be the perfect sacrifice that would atone for all sin, so that perhaps some would hold on to that salvation and be with him forever.  

So where’s the joy?  The joy is found in the manger; not in the cuteness of the baby or the soft glow of candles and lights.   The Joy is found in the Love of God, who came to us to save us.  O come, O come, Immanuel.  God with us.  Come, Lord Jesus, Come.