In light of 2020 and the recent Thanksgiving restrictions, how can we possibly enjoy Christmas this year? Do we have the energy or the emotional bandwidth to celebrate? Where might we find the strength and excitement to lean into this season? I am reminded of a line from one of my favorite Christmas carols, O Holy
Night. It goes something like this… “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

A thrill of Hope… That’s what we need, that will make our hearts rejoice! A famous theologian once said, “joy is found in where you put your hope.” Biblical Hope is a confident assurance in what you can count on. It is centered on what is coming. It knows that what lies ahead is infinitely better than what one is presently experiencing.

 

Christmas is the dawning of a new and glorious morn! A day that reminds us we can count on the salvation that is brought by Jesus Christ. We can be assured that the future brings a new heaven, a new earth, and a new and eternal life! It is why the angels at Christmas announced the promise of “Good News of Great Joy.” So, in the Sundays of Advent, we are going to find JOY in the midst of our weariness, in the midst of a seemingly blue Christmas, as they did 200 years ago.