Both/And

Dear St. John’s,

As I was brushing the snow and scraping the ice from my car this morning (Tuesday) I thought about how different that experience was from the day before. On Monday, I watched the snow beautifully cascade around the city - leaving an otherwise dark “winter” night a brilliant, glowing white! Now all that was left was snow soiled from traffic, pedestrians, and dogs; and the drudgery of cleaning my car off.

Life is in many ways like the juxtaposition of these two images. One day life is pleasant and serene or perhaps filled with joy, and the next it can be dreadful and anxiety-ridden.

In the Gospel reading from last week, John the Baptist was preaching repentance and how he is not worthy “to carry Jesus’s sandals.” (Matt. 3). In this week’s reading, John is sitting in jail asking, “if Jesus is the chosen one?” (Matt. 11 paraphrased). Although chronologically a year or two passes between these two stories, the idea remains that the things we so adamantly believe or admire, can become the things we doubt or disparage. Especially if life circumstances challenge our worldview.

In the first paragraph, I put “winter” in quotations because technically the winter solstice begins on December 21st. However, most folks will agree that it already feels like winter! Nevertheless, our bundling up for the weather does not change the fact that the solstice has not yet occurred; nor does a calendar date change the fact that it snowed and the temperature is dropping at night.

The Christian faith is a lot like that. Anticipating a world of peace and joy, while also believing that through Christ those things are available today, yet they are also still to come in its fullness. So the next time we are tempted to resign in misery, we can hold on to the hope (this week’s advent candle) of Emmanuel…” God is with us.”

In Christ,

Anthony+