Hope Lives

I was doing some last minute preperations to lead small group last night after realizing the preperations I had made wouldn't suffice.
Our lesson on Ruth just wasn't fitting for what I had just found out would most likely be the groups last meeting before Christmas and the New Year. :)

As I drew thoughts and questions from the Sunday sermon "Hope Lights Lights" (doesn't sound nearly as good when its translated to English :) and I thought about our theme "Celebrate Hope" the following came to mind. I should also note that it comes from the experience & pleasure of hearing a pastor (Dr. J.K. Warrick) preach a series a few years back that has always stuck with me.
I hope you enjoy it...

Hope Lives
It wasn’t just any other Christmas season. Yes, it had begun even before the turkey made it to the table Thanksgiving Day and “Black Friday” officially kicked off the season. Salvation Army bell ringers once again braved the cold, or not so cold, and stood outside of malls and shops with their red metal buckets collecting shoppers spare change. Mariah Carey and a host of others sung Christmas song on the radio. Christmas carols played in every store. Yes, to outsiders, on-lookers if you will, it seemed like just another Christmas season – complete with hustle AND bustle. But you see, it wasn’t… it was Christmas 2001.

Just a few months prior 9/11 occurred, the country had been attacked and was inundated with images of the fallen twin towers. Images of black smoke and rubble, of make-shift memorials and rescue workers still lingered in the back of peoples minds.

Can you see it? Ground zero.

Do you remember the way it virtually forced us to embrace those around us, to embrace community?

John 1 says, “In him [Jesus] was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.” “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” and later says, “ The Word [Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us.” Other versions of the Bible say, “The Word became human and lived among us,” but perhaps my favorite translation say “and God moved into the neighborhood.”

God… moved in… to... the neighborhood.

Christmastime isn’t always full of presents and cookies and fond memories. For some it brings painful memories of loss or is a constant reminder of loneliness or despair. The sting of these circumstances reaches to the depths, to the ground zeros of our lives.

But there is hope – hope to embrace, to encounter, to know, and yes, even to celebrate. God moved in to the neighborhood, and because of that hope lives at the ground zeros of our lives. This Christmas, as we not only celebrate the season (and the reason for the season) but perhaps as we face the ground zeros in our lives may we be courageous enough to embrace community. May we know Hope, himself. May we understand that hope has moved into the neighborhood - the community we are apart of. May we come along side one another both to ask for help and to offer it. Hope lives at ground zero. God moved in to the neighborhood.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he was called you (Ephesians 1:18-19)