perceptive about the light

In this season….."may we be honest about the darkness and more perceptive about the light…."     –Renee Sundberg (University Presbyterian Church, December 1, 2013)

The following Christmas reflection was written by a friend from Nashville whom I used to run with when we lived there.  I saw her last Christmas when she was in a tough spot in the midst of going through a divorce. She had such wise words and was able to speak truth and mine gold in a difficult season. 

"Embedded deep in our hearts is a need to be together, to be included, to be seen and known and to be loved. We want this (and if we're real honest - we expect it)  most intensely from our families. Christmas tends to bring out these deep needs and expectations. And when they are not met as we had hoped it can really trip us up together. The beautiful thing about family is also that these arguments or tripping points do rise up  - showing us the exact places within us and between us where we are in the most need of love. Lean in hard to these places. You see-  the mess of family arguments really is not the bad news of Christmas - but can point out precisely and directly to the good news of Christmas! 

The good news of Christmas is that there, in a back-water village, in an animal shed, surrounded by the poor and outcast,  God came to be with us. God had pitched a tent next to ours, moved into our neighborhood, took on our skin and struggle. God didn't come into a perfect world full of perfect people. Because that world wouldn't have needed him. He came into a very broken and messy world. He wasn't afraid of the mess in the world then and he certainly isn't afraid of the mess in our lives now. In fact, that is right where he longs to be. God came for each of us. We are seen. We are known. We belong. We are included. We are loved entirely. 

So when we gather with family and we struggle to be seen or understood by one another - let us remember the perfect gift of God's love for us. Let us steep in the love that we have already been given so completely. And with the fullness of being seen and known and loved so perfectly -  let us do our imperfect best to show that to those around us. Let us invite God's love into these struggles between us, the mess and the brokenness is just what he came for - so that our hearts can be healed." 

-Becky Tucker