Death at Christmas

The last week or so has seen tragedy come to our beautiful Australian shores- we've turned on the news and seen the Lindt cafe siege, where two were killed, 8 children murdered in sunny Cairns and then on a global scale, we've seen 132 children in Pakistan slaughtered. It causes us to hug our babies tighter and question- how could these things happen, particularly at this time of year?

Often when we look at beautiful Christmas cards and nativity scenes, we think Christmas is meant to be peaceful- after all isn't it about Peace, Love, Hope and all things good? We forget. Jesus came with pain and heartache and turbulence filled the Jewish world sometime during the first 2 years of Jesus' life. Over 2000 years ago, a similar slaughter of innocent children took place. Herod, in his fear for loss of power, commanded the annihilation of thousands of Hebrew baby boys. Fear and wailing would have resounded across the land. 

Yet I find comfort. As I read John 1:1-5, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." What a beautiful hope! Despite death and turmoil crowding onto the pages of history surrounding that first Christmas, we see that in Jesus was LIFE and it is this LIFE that is our LIGHT. We see in Jesus a light that cannot be quenched- the dark things of this world can not overcome it.

As our world sometimes seems to be a very dark place, we can stand firm and find strength and comfort in Jesus: the Light he is and the Life he brings. 

Let me leave you with the beautiful words penned by Martin Luther's, "A Mighty Fortress is our God"

1	A mighty Fortress is our God, A Bulwark never failing;  (Bulwark- defensive wall) Our Helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.
2	Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth His Name,  (Sabaoth- Lord of Heaven and Hosts) From age to age the same, And He must win the battle.
3	And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us: The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo! his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him.
4	That word above all earthly powers, No thanks to them, abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours Through Him who with us sideth: Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His Kingdom is forever.

photo credit: rachelandrew via photopin cc

Everlasting Swamp? What is in a name....

Over the past few days it has been announced that Australia has a new National Park. Everlasting Swamp is to become 1,700 hectares of conserved wetlands in Maclean on the Far North Coast of New South Wales (More info: ABC). The announcement comes just as environmentalists from around the world meet in Sydney at the IUCN World Parks Congress. Good timing, no?

As I listened to a broadcast this morning about the creation of the new National Park in my little corner of the world, I thought about the interesting name choice- 'Everlasting Swamp'. In researching, I have found little information about the choice of name, though have learnt that there is a small flower commonly known as 'Swamp Everlasting' that is found in southern areas of Australia. It makes one think- will calling this new National Park the "Everlasting Swamp" guarantee its perpetual success? What in our world really is everlasting?

Everlasting God

The Bible claims that God is Everlasting. In Isaiah 40:28-31 we read,

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 

In these verses the prophet Isaiah juxtaposes God's everlasting energy and nature to that of the frailty and tiredness of man. Even youths, with what sometimes appears to be boundless energy, all get weary. But our God is truly everlasting.

God's Everlasting Word

 God's Word is also everlasting. Isaiah writes again,

The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:7-8).

Here, even the flowers fade when God's breath touches them, yet God's Word is eternal and everlasting. His Word is truth, a solid foundation to our frail life. We can be confident in  the Word of God and know that it will also remain. 

Man's Response

As we recognise that God and His Word are the only truly everlasting things, may we respond with awe and reverence. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote, "I perceived that whatever God does endures forever, nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him." (Ecclesiastes 3:14). This fear Solomon talks of is a recognition that we are but a vapour, here one day and gone the next and so our response must be to bow our knee in humility before the One who is Everlasting. 

Solomon concludes his quest for meaning, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 3:14) May we take time today to see that "like a flower we will pass away" (James 1:10). One day, everything we spend our life pursuing will be brought before the throne of the Everlasting One (Hebrews 9:27-28). Let us spend the days we have pursuing God with awe for He is everlasting and with humility for we are not. No matter what the name, our local swamp, nor any man or flower, will truly be Everlasting. 
  

photo credit: JefferyTurner via photopin cc