Tragedy Wrapped in Christmas Bows

This is a tough post...

I was really enjoying Christmas with my best friend. Even though I could not go home, I enjoyed having a good home and great place to be and enjoyed being in the area for Christmas Eve and Christmas. I missed my family, but I enjoyed opening some gifts from my parents on Christmas and taking a bunch of pictures for facebook to show.

I love wolves so I loved getting a really cool wolf hat--wolf howling at the moon and face of wolf on brim. I love the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I am a big fan so it was great getting a sweatshirt for their last Super Bowl win. I also love books and am a regular Bibliophile. An author that I like is Joseph Girzone, a medically retired Catholic priest, who became a best-selling author by word of mouth. Girzone's stories involve a Jesus-figure known as Joshua who comes into the lives of modern (or post-modern) persons. I love these stories even if coming from a Catholic point of view (nothing against Catholics; I just am not one). This book is nonfiction called The Wisdom of His Compassion which I look forward to reading and can add to my Girzone collection.

I had a pretty good conversation with my Mom except that she kind of went into worry mode with my brother's situation and his wife. I kind of stopped her and urged prayer. Jesus spoke about worry not adding anything to your life or stature or something like that---basically it's not real healthy. I love the story about the grandfather telling his grandson about the two wolves--one wolf of darkness (fear, worry, anger, etc.) and one wolf of light (peace, hope, love, joy, kindness, etc.) with the question, "Which one (wolf) do you feed?" It's too easy to pay lip service to prayer and then feed our "wolf" of worry and fear and anxiety.

Anyways, a little later, my Dad called to ask for prayers for Jeff S. and family who just lost their wife and mother--3 sons--one newly engaged, and two younger sons. Apparently, Laurie just passed away on Christmas day from a heart attack. My Mom is greatly affected because this is her best friend, and Mom performed their wedding ceremony. Mom and Laurie used to work together a long time ago. Well, this is what I call a "tragedy wrapped in Christmas bows". It's hard not to imagine this affecting this families' Christmas's from this point on.

This kind of gets to my point. I just spent a Christmas inside where it is warm, comfortable, plenty of food, great company, entertainment galore, worship, internet, phone service, bathroom, shower, etc. Yet, the world outside is not comfortable for most persons in this world. Most do not have all the above. There are more and more homeless in our country and the world without Christmas trees and presents and family (even if a phone call away or internet away).

M. Scott Peck quotes the Buddha about one of his noble truths which is that "Life is suffering." There is the death that I mentioned above. There is a death of an IHOP worship leader from a tragic accident. Turn on the news and hear about murder, violence, accidents, terrorism or terrorism attempts, war, sickness, house fires, and more. Jesus stated that the sun shines on the just and the unjust and the rain rains on the just and the unjust meaning that bad things happen to good people and good (or even great) things happen to bad people. In this world, we will have suffering and pain.

A good question...do we isolate ourselves from suffering, from pain, from death, from illness? We have funeral homes to take care of the bodies and dress them up for us (nothing against this valuable service), and we have hospitals and nursing homes to handle the sick, dying, old, and infirm. We tend not to pay attention to the homeless, the panhandlers, the street persons (addicts, mentally ill, homeless, prostitutes, etc.) We support Outreach International, Salvation Army, Community Services League, United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs, and more yet ministry to those most in need is often greatly neglected or we tend to give our leftovers to them if that.

Go anywhere in the world...it is easy to see sickness, death, suffering, injustice, poverty, in general, a standard of living much lower than ours. We have suffering, and no matter how we would like to isolate ourselves or avoid it--we have it and Christmas and all its wrappings and "good spirit" cannot keep it out!

This gets to my point...what a beautiful vision that Zion (one heart, one mind with no poor among them) or a community of Christ (not the denomination but the concept) or the peaceable kingdom or heaven on earth or kingdom of God on earth or peaceable kingdom...WE NEED THIS AND WE NEEDED IT YESTERDAY (AND ALL YESTERDAY'S), TODAY, AND TOMORROW. A spiritual condition is not enough. A someday promise is not enough. A physical manifestation that can be touched, seen, heard, tasted, and felt is what is so desperately needed in this world. When you add the Presence and Reality of Christ then we shall have the suffering covered by His Blood and Body, by His sacrifice, by His Love, by His Healing.....by what we all need....desperately.

God, peace, blessings, and endowment be with you! Happy Boxing Day, a UK Holiday, often involved in giving gifts to those less fortunate, to servants (those in service). I am thankful to all the young men and women serving at home and abroad and to all the police, firemen, health care workers, road crews especially with all this cold and snow and ice. There are pleny of "servants"--thank one today!