Pastors Corner

“Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore romanticized Christmas in ways that have become iconic to our vision of Christmas, complete with visions of sugar plums that danced in the children’s dreams. It is a delightful poem many of us cherish. Yet, in the dark days of 2020, the fantasy of Moore’s vision fails to meet us in our deepest needs.

How is your vision these days? 2020 has presented us with a great many challenge, for some of us more than others. It has been a year marked more by loss, confusion, anger, and alienation and less by hope, peace, joy, or love in most areas of our culture. In fact, many I speak with are uneasy and fearful over the tensions in our world, values they see in the world, the economy, and our own personal security and well-being. It is easy to fall into a certain hopelessness and angst, is it not?

Christmas is truly a time for an eye exam. Not our physical eyes but our spiritual eyes. When we focus solely on 2020 it can lead to nearsightedness. Do not misunderstand; the suffering you may be going through is not to be minimized. What I am suggesting is a vision correction or 20/20 perspective. Just like that, one simple forward slash changes how we see the numbers 2020. Jesus can do the very same for our own outlook. That is in essence what happened when God entered our world as Emmanuel, God with us.

The prophet Isaiah pointed to the promise of a future when “…there will be no more gloom for those who were distress… The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” Isaiah said as he saw the hope of a deliverer who would indeed save the people. 400 years later we have the birth of that deliverer in the historical records of Jesus’ birth. One of his followers revealed what it meant for us when this child known as Jesus, Emmanuel was born. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:1-4)

We pray this Christmas that the light of this truth will permeate your darkness, and give you vision for a future with hope even while we wait for the final day when his kingdom reigns on earth as it does in heaven. In the meantime, as we wait so does Christ. It is his deepest desire that all hearts may know him and by his Spirit have all the life, love, joy, hope, peace, and vision from above that is and beyond any of this world’s circumstances.

Merry Christmas one and all and prayers for a Happy New Year!

Pastor Kriss Bottino and the entire family of Washtucna Community Church