Article by Kirsty Provan
A young girl called a liar and a whore. A man who chose to stand by her. A 90 mile journey at almost 40 weeks. Discrimination and hate and fear and anger and confusion and loss and heartache. Why them? They had nothing. They were nobody. Empty handed. Homeless. Alone in a place they’d never been before.
This year, more than others, I’ve thought a lot about that journey. About how we measure human value. How we measure importance. What we discover in the lowliest of places.
You see, you don’t have to believe in the Holy of a manger birth to see the miracle. You don’t have to believe the Christmas story to see the significance of a king birthed in a stable.
Swaddling cloths
Swaddled cries
Swaddled longings reoriented in Grace
Great Fear to Fear Not
Good News to Great Joy
Always surprising us.
The disruption of normal reorients our joy so it is no longer on our own terms. The disruption of normal cultivates Resilient Joy. A joy not measured by our circumstances, but rather circumstances reoriented by our Joy.
Joy existing in unknown. Joy existing in breaking hearts. Joy existing in value that is not measured by the constraints of this world.
Your value cannot be measured by the constraints of this world.
“We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
And then we continue in Advent.
Hope produces Joy
Joy produces Peace
Peace produces Love
And in the centre is the Manger Birth.
And so we count it all joy. In weeping and sorrow, in celebration and lament, in laughter and suffering. In it lies resilience. In it lies the joy of a babe in a manger, born into nothingness and carrying eternity. It is the greatest love story of all time.
Wherever you are, whoever you are with, whatever your circumstance, never forget the Resilient Joy that reorients the circumstance. The Thanksgiving that precedes the Miracle.
The world is weary. And still rejoicing.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily held by everyone at Christ City Church.