The sun shines through after the rain above Gaza City, one of the most hopeless places in the world. The beauty of nature reflects God’s enduring promise to protect every living thing on the earth. Taken by Allison Kittleson, 2013
Nation will make war upon nation, Kingdom upon kingdom;
there will be earthquakes and famines and plagues in many places... but not a
hair on your head will be lost. By standing firm you will win true life for
yourselves.
Advent is a time of waiting, a time of hopeful anticipation,
a time when we think a little bit more about the birth of our Lord. It feels as
though we’ve been waiting since March; waiting for this virus to run its
course, waiting for businesses to reopen, for life to return to normal, for a
vaccine to come. The reading from Luke reminds us that there is evil and
sadness everywhere in our world, but more importantly there is hope. A sure and
certain hope that can only be found in our Risen Lord. Before he dies to save
us all He must first be born into this world as a tiny and vulnerable baby.
Jesus too lived through times of uncertainty and fear. We can take comfort in
knowing that Jesus has lived and faced the dangers of this world Himself, and
most importantly He has overcome it all.
- Allison Kittleson