Rick and I came from different Christmas traditions. For one, gift opening was a formal moment on Christmas Eve in which you carefully unwrapped the gift and carefully folded the wrapping paper for next year. For the other, one awoke to utter chaos and excitement by 4 a.m., tearing wrapping paper off the gifts as wildly as we could.
Waiting is hard. Some sense the tension and become somber and reside in the quiet. Others can barely keep their feet still and rush towards the energy of the moment. In this text, there is a both/and experience. There is the yearning for blessed hope and the excitement of the of the glory of our great God.
In our human experience, the Holy Spirit invites us into the quiet reflection of blessed hope and then raises us up to be ready for the great manifestation of God. With the birth of Christ, there is a quiet moment when we ponder what his birth means for humanity, alongside the joyful excitement that has come to bring the divine experience.
Patient God, be with us in our quiet and exciting moments as we await the birth of the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —