Reflections 21 Dec 2003
4th Sunday of Advent
Believe in Miracles
People have always exhibited faith - and always will. Despite those who would say that the age of faith is at an end. For as long as humankind has walked the earth, we have looked to the sun or the moon, to religious forms or to our possessions and achievements as summary of our hopes.
For faith is simply what we trust in. Modern people trust in science and medicine. We believe in human capacity, in the self to provide answers to life's greater questions. Today we have come to place our hopes in rationalism, knowledge and our faith in the power of reason This leaves little scope for the supernatural, for mystery and 'unknowing'.
The Christian story, which we celebrate at this time of the year, contains elements of the miraculous, of events beyond our knowing.
Yet this story remains what we chose to trust! We 'allocate' our best hopes. We make decisions about what is important - and these are a in the nature of faith. And therefore, everybody exercises faith; even the person who refuses to 'believe'. Each faith will bring us to a place.
So it is with our faith in the story of the Christ-child, Emmanuel, God come among us. This is not to be proven or known. It is what we, in essence, give ourselves to. A song written for this season asks,
"And did it happen, that in a stable long ago,
a weary couple who no-one wanted to know,
should chose a manger, in spite of the danger,
to hold and hallow the Lord below?".
"And did it happen, that all of this was meant to be?
That God, from a distance should chose to be set free and
show uniqueness, transformed in weakness,
that I might touch him and he touch me?"
[Wild Goose Worship Group]
We can only chose to hope so!
- Where do you find God?
- What is your response to the God you encounter?
