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Help support the vision of Woodland Hills Community Church!
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Friday, December 28

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 77 & 57; Jeremiah 31:15-17; Matthew 2:13-18; Revelation 21:1-7

It’s easy to fall prey to the notion that once the Christ-child appears, all our problems will be solved. And yet this morning’s reading from Matthew reminded me such thinking isn’t entirely accurate. For in this morning’s passage we learn of one of the earliest responses to the appearance of the Christ-child – a bloody attempt by King Herod to find the child and do away with him. When he couldn’t do that, Herod initiated the bloody extermination of all boys under the age of two in the area. Not exactly the sort of warm and fuzzy response you would have envisioned. This response reminded me of a concept I spent much time exploring this fall: the dark night of the soul. What I learned in my explorations of the concept is that dark nights of the soul are often triggered by an experience of insight or clarity. This experience then sets off a purging in one’s life as you let go of those things spiritually holding you back so you can embrace the new things before you. I personally can’t think of anything that introduces a greater sense of insight or clarity than the Christ-child. Of course in the Christmas story, Herod didn’t want to let go of those things holding him back. He much preferred the status quo; hence, his actions to strike out and try to eliminate the threat. In some ways you and I are in a situation like Herod’s. We have heard and experienced the coming of the Christ child once again. As a result, we have to decide what we want to do about that coming. Do we want to do what Herod did and try to do away with the Christ-child (or worse yet, tuck him away along the other Christmas decorations until you haul him about this time next year) or shall we do like Joseph and Mary and embrace the Christ-child and do whatever it takes to protect its role in our life – even if it means treks to the most unlikely of places?! The question is yours to wrestle with today. Til next time…

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