Written by By Dr. Craven Williams, Contributor
See Romans 8:31-35; 37-39
The Winter Solstice was December 21, 4 days before Christmas. It was the longest night of the year. Beginning on that day each day lengthens by 2 minutes, 7 seconds each day. As Jupiter and Saturn align we are reminded of Psalm19 where the poet declares,”The heavens are telling the glory of God and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” And as a result, the “Bethlehem Star” appeared again for the first time since March 4, 1226.
- Makes sense doesn’t it: the shortest day of the year means the longest night of the year.
- Makes sense doesn’t it: the happiest of days underscores the despair of the saddest time.
- Makes sense doesn’t it: the most depressing feelings arise from a time when we need to appear jolly and joyful.
This is the time during Advent, we remember those who grieve a loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, a goal. In the midst of the happy lights of Advent and Christmas glooms the dreary, dark memories of sad losses, simple loneliness, social isolation. The Pandemic has added substantially to that sense of loss as now there are gaping holes in the hearts of 300,000 Americans caused by Covid-19.
Many Bible passages employ the imagery of light and dark.
- John depicts God being born as a child to the “light shining in the darkness” (John 1:5).
- “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
- “Those who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2).
- “The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1).
- “Even the darkness is not dark to You; darkness is as light with You” (Psalm 139:12).
- In heaven, “night shall be no more; they need no lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light” (Revelation 22:5).
St. Francis’s daily prayer was “Enlighten the darkness of my heart.” We know darkness, despite our many electrical and battery-powered lights.
- John Milton spoke of “darkness visible,” which we often call “depression.”
- There is something fitting in the notion that God came when it was the darkest. God’s love embraces and warms us.
- We love the carol, “In the bleak Midwinter.” That was when God made his humble home with us.
Fascinating: God created us and put us in this world, but God holds out for us the promise of another world. Fra Giovanni, the medieval poet, wrote, “The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in the darkness, could we but see. And to see, we have only to look. I beseech you to look!”
It seems that our longest nights and saddest feelings occur in the presence of others who all seem so happy with their jingle bells jingling and their heralds harking.
- Little wonder we are so attracted to Little Orphan Annie and Harry Potter. We see in these plucky characters our worst fears realized and so root for them because we are hopeful that we’d face it with the same measures of grit and grace as they did.
- Little wonder our souls cry out in sad anxiety as we think of thousands of immigrant children being separated from their parents and families at the Southern border.
- Little wonder that we come together whenever we have an opportunity to light a candle and remember people and events each candle reflects.
Romans touches on this same deep need and, indeed, primal fear. Paul is describing our life in the Spirit — life, that is, when we are joined to Christ and others via our baptism and belief. He has already announced that there is no condemnation for those in Christ and proclaimed that we are not only God’s children but also God’s heirs and Christ’s co-heirs.
As if it couldn’t get any better, Paul continues, stressing that because God is for us, no one can stand against us. No one can level charges that deprive us of God’s inheritance or diminish our status among God’s beloved. His language is stirring: “Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us” (8:33-34).
Did you hear that? Jesus —
- The one who preached God’s kingdom and embodied God’s love,
- The one who suffered and died on the cross and was raised again —
- This Jesus is now interceding for us regardless of our loss or the source of our sadness.
The Apostle Paul continues, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (v35). His answer, of course, is a resounding, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
And then comes the best part, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v.38-39).
And there it is — The Apostle Paul addressing our deepest needs and deepest fears, all in one fell swoop. We will not — we cannot! — be separated from God:
But now, let us add in our own list of things that might separate us from God. What are those things that we have done or have happened to us that we fear separate us from God? And then, having had the courage to name our deepest fears, to hear Paul’s response: “Nothing will be able to separate us from God!”
That’s right. God loves us…forever…no matter what. That’s why Jesus came: to invite us, to embrace us, to empower us with God’s love. Thanks be to God: for this Word and promise! Makes sense doesn’t it!
Romans 8:31-35; 37-39
“31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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