Because of God’s tender mercy,
Luke 1:78-79
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.”
There is so much about the Christmas story that resonates beautifully with my spirit. I love the story of the humble shepherds; I respect the mixture of pomp and humility that characterize the Magi; I admire the bold, graceful, merciful acceptance modeled by Joseph; I am awed by the sweet, tender spirit of devotion that leads Mary to say, “I am the Lord’s servant;” and I am a huge fan of the long faithfulness of the elderly Simeon and Anna, who recognized Jesus when he was presented at the temple.
But my absolute favorite story/passage for Christmas Eve is from Luke 1, when John’s father, Zechariah, finally finds his voice again and, among other things, he talks about Jesus: “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us…”
Wow! What a turn of phrase. What clear vision. What a revelation of truth. What a fabulous passage for us to think about on Christmas Eve, when we celebrate that pure morning light breaking in through time and space, flooding each one of us with the light of possibility, the light of grace, the light of hope, and the light of eternal promise!
So join us in church this morning, for the 11:00 Family Service to worship with the eyes-wide-open wonder of the children. And come in the evening too, at 8:00, where we can anticipate the birth of Jesus, receive communion, and listen to Rebekah’s Christmas message, “Be Amazed!!!”
Regardless, hitch your spirits to the star – the bright star – that Zechariah foretold when he spoke of the coming messiah and called him “The Morning Light from Heaven.”
Happy Christmas Eve, friends. May the morning light break upon you, may it break upon all of us; and may peace, the Jesus kind of peace, fill the whole wide world.
In love, and because of love – DEREK
