Monday, December 10, 2018

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Click to see full size image.

Usually when I see a cross, I automatically conjure up thoughts of conflict, turmoil and strife. But this snow-covered cross evoked tranquility in the waking hours one December morning. This fresh blanket of snow along with the rising of the day covered the blemishes of its surroundings. The noise of the world was muffled if only for a few hours.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a blanket of snow to cover 2018? It too has been wrought with worry, conflict and loss. Devastating hurricanes and storms, polarizing thoughts, uncertainty about our world, the passing of loved ones… Uncertainty and worry sap our strength and consume us in a world that seems to have little hope.

But worry is nothing new. Mary and Joseph had worries as they traveled to Nazareth. And closer to home, at this very minute, if known, the all-out list of worries of our Trinity family would astound us.

So what can we do? Well, for the moment, or maybe as long as a Christmas season, we can see the cross as it is here, blanketed with God’s love and grace. We can see the promise of hope and renewal. Surrounding this cross of crucifixion and pain is the Spirit that is continually restored and provides a hushed calm that is “whiter than snow.”

Our Christmas prayer is that the Lord grant us
a passion to give and receive grace freely
and to allow loving hearts to ever be our guide.

Peace,
Dennis & Kay King