through
His own redeeming love.
For
that child so dear and gentle
is
our LORD in heav’n above.
And
He leads His children on
to
the place where He has gone."
“Once
in Royal David’s City”
Cecil Frances Alexander
Ireland, 1848
Cecil Frances Alexander
Ireland, 1848
 |
| Philippe de Champaigne "The Nativity" 1643 |
The Season of Advent is a prime example of the tension we live in: the now but not yet. It's the tension we feel when we're called to rejoice that our loved ones who have died are with God, but all we want to do is cry because they're no longer with us. It's the tension that forms a lump in our throats as we look at a world that doesn’t appear “saved” in any sense of the word. It's the tension that hurts while we live in a body redeemed by Christ, but all that body does is torment us. It's the tension buried in the fact that the love of God isn’t all happiness and joy, the tension in knowing we're healed but hurting, the tension that means the Son of God had to suffer for our redemption.
Like
a kid waiting for Christmas morning, we long to see our LORD with our
own eyes, and we bear countless sleepless nights in the meantime. We
will be able to see heaven because Jesus was born in a manger. That
was His first appearance on earth. Today, you and I prepare for His
second appearance. Rejoice in that tension this Advent season: our
eyes, too, at last shall see Him, though today they can scarcely see
at all.
Thanks
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