Christmas Reflections 2019

Groaning. Waiting. Hoping.

The definition of “groan”, according to Merriam-Webster, is “to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief, or annoyance”. Synonyms for groan are howl, moan, lament, and wail. Now, if you don’t mind me asking, have you experienced any groanings this past year?

 I feel more groaning in my heart this year than I have in past Advent and Christmas seasons. I groan over the death and loss that I and those close to me have experienced, and the depth of that grief for those I dearly love. I groan over the fact that many of my friends are struggling with autoimmune diseases or children with difficult diagnoses.  I groan over the continual conflict in the Middle East and the refugee crisis. I groan over the many conservation crises currently looming. I groan over all the many injustices in this world. I groan. I lament. I wail. What about you? 

A passage of Scripture that I’ve been pondering a lot lately speaks to these groanings.

“18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Romans 8:18-25

To begin a Christmas reflection focused on groaning isn’t very cheery is it? In fact, a couple of antonyms for groaning are rejoicing and exaltation. I think to truly experience the Christmas season one must allow space for both the groaning and the rejoicing. 

I imagine Mary, the mother of Jesus, experienced some magnitude of labor pains. I imagine she probably groaned as our Savior was born that night. It is because of these groanings that my groanings can also give way to rejoicing. She experienced the groaning of labor pains to deliver the One that would one day deliver us.  About 33 years later that Deliverer would experience His own groanings as He died upon the cross. And because death could not hold Him, His groanings gave way to rejoicing when 3 days later He rose from the grave. We too can rejoice!

Yet today we still groan. Still lament. Still wail. It is true that in this world we all experience and witness a multitude of sufferings. So we groan… It is also true that those that follow Christ have a confident assurance (hope) that one day these groanings will end once and for all when Christ comes again. It is through this hope that we can rejoice in the midst of the groaning. The present sufferings cannot even compare to the rejoicing we will experience for all eternity for those that know Christ. 

We can only experience that hope by knowing the Deliverer. It is through knowing that Deliverer, Jesus Christ, that we can rejoice in the midst of the groanings. We can rejoice because we are dearly loved and forgiven. We can rejoice because He hears our groanings and He cares. We can rejoice because one day He will return and make all things new. He is our Hope and it is for Him that we wait.

  We groan. We lament. We wail. 

We rejoice. We hope. We wait.