2016 is one of those years.
The Republic did not totter, but it did slouch a bit. We are divided politically and our global presence has long been in decline. We keep aborting babies, too many do not know black lives matter, and our police officers were the target of killers. Most of the world looks at our sexual confusion and decadence in horror, but inside American universities, dissent on moral decline is punished. First Nations are still on reservations and Christians are being murdered with American weapons in the Sudan.
We need help and the temptation is to make a plan and act. The other people are the problem and we will save them from themselves. In that direction lies tyranny.
If I want to see the problem with America, I should look in the mirror. If I want to see the Savior, I should look in the manger.
Politics is at best a compromise between what should be and what can be. We pray for President Obama and President Elect Trump, but neither man will save us. Politicians must compromise, thank God, but we need more than the sort-of-justice the best politicians can choose. If you still have your Clinton bumper sticker because your hope was in Her, then you simply are an idolater with a loser god . If you think “making America great again,” will bring on paradise, then you are an idolater with a god who will fail.
We long for love, we crave love, but love that is steady, real, and endures all things: even death.
Family can be good, but cannot save us because nobody in a family is good enough. You cannot accumulate perfection from imperfection and only perfection in love will do. Family is flawed and the love we find comes from flawed people. Hallmark sells an image of family that is false for most people, but even when true, cannot save us. We are broken and even happiness is not enough. There is eternity burning in our hearts and we want more than happiness in this life. We want absolute romance, eternal and everlasting. Don’t focus on the family, find the vision of the shepherds of Bethlehem.
Science can tell us what is, but never decide what ought to be. Instead, people use science to pursue weapons and make elaborate toys while some starve. People are scientists and people always misuse power. Science can solve many problems, but not our fundamental problem. Our longing is not for more, better, or fixed stuff, but to know goodness, truth, and beauty. Science does not make ideas. Research is useful, but we need transcendence so put down the journal and reach for the Gospels to find reality.
A savior came on Christmas day. Why don’t we feel saved then? We keep looking elsewhere for salvation, even Christians. We say: “Jesus is our savior,” but then look to some Cyrus to save us. We say: “Jesus is our Savior,” but hope science cures our problems. We look in the mirror and think if we try harder, work more, make a plan, transcendence will be in our grasp.
But we can no more command the ineffable, then we can save ourselves. The Savior is come and He is not us. This is very good news. We can relax and party for twelve days. God may use us to pursue justice, speak prophetically, but history does not depend on us. God will let us serve Him, but God did the necessary work already.
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
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