Holiday Hangovers are the worst!
I’m not talking about the kind that comes from drinking too much. But rather that feeling that you need a break from all the festivities and merriment. Not that we need a cessation of joy, but perhaps it feels like we need a prolonged sense of peace in our lives. It might be more family time over the break or more time off work or a change of scenery. Whichever it is, we need that remedy.
The angels proclaimed and the shepherds found the baby just as they had said. The shepherds marveled at this incredibly good news and then they did something that we all must do; They returned to their sheep and to their routines. But they did so with a song of praise in their hearts and I believe a sense that in spite of all that could go wrong, God’s salvation was bigger than the world. In spite of the wolves and steep cliff, in spite of all the dangers, they were able to recognize that the fulfillment of God’s promise is greater than all these. For in the birth of a savior, God has OVERCOME the world, overcome pain and sorrow, overcome our fear and apathy and ultimately, overcome death. The Good News of the incarnation is that whatever we encounter that threatens our sense of peace and joy, is no match for what God has done in Christ. We can have peace in the midst of turmoil, joy in the midst of struggle, abundance in the midst of scarcity. And this is not just for us, but for all people. It may not be easy to find in the remnants of the holiday. It may be yet covered up in the trappings of the season, but make no mistake; it is present in the truth of the divine, come down to abide with us, be one of us, struggle as one of us, die as one of us. Good News for all people, salvation has come and His name is Jesus. Praise God!