Arrr! On this jolly Advent Sunday, bear in mind, mateys, God's eternal gaze be upon us!
2023-12-17
Avast ye, mateys! 'Tis Advent, a jolly time to reconnect with the Almighty. C.S. Lewis, that fine scribbler of "The Chronicles of Narnia," did fashion a lion named Aslan to resemble our Lord, provin' that God be forever at yer side. Arrr!
During his time in Asia as a graduate student, the author committed to reading the Bible cover to cover. Along the way, he found obscure phrases and wrote them down. Recently, he revisited his list and found a forgotten line from Hosea 11: "They did not realize." This made him wonder who they were and what they did not realize.After examining the surrounding sentences, the author discovered that the "they" referred to the people of God. These Israelites were so caught up in cultural concessions and distractions that they became confused, angry, rebellious, divided, and depressed. Hosea wrote to these people during a difficult time for them.
The "what" that they did not realize was that the Lord himself was with them. Despite their wanderings and confusion, God had been there all along. The author reflects on how many of us may find ourselves in a similar place today, struggling to find joy in the trials and tribulations of the modern world.
The author suggests that there is no better time than Christmas to remember the nearness of God, the Prince of Peace, and the Savior of the world. He references C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia," specifically "The Horse and His Boy," where a scene reminds him of Hosea 11.
In this scene, a boy named Shasta is lost and feeling sorry for himself in the dark woods. He hears a noise and grows terrified, imagining giants roaming the strange country. Eventually, he discovers that the creature near him is Aslan, the lion representing Jesus Christ.
Aslan reveals that he had been with Shasta all along, protecting him and providing for him. Similarly, at Christmas, we are reminded that Emmanuel, Christ the newborn King, is always with us, even when we don't realize it. Christ pursues us with everlasting love, longing to rescue us from despair. The good news of Christmas is that joy is coming.
The author concludes with a quote from Matthew 1:23: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us."