The Day After Christmas
A reading for Friday, December 26, 2014: Acts 7:59-8:8.
It would be nice if all was well now the day after Christmas. If the lessons and carols heard just two nights ago, and celebrated yesterday could take affect all across the globe. If peace could reign, just as God intended with the birth of Christ.
It would be nice... but it isn't so.
Luke tells the story today from the book of Acts about the stoning of Stephen. Even after Christ lived, and died, and God raised him from the dead, the killing and the hate continued. If you watch the news today or read the paper, you will see a similar accounting of the state of our world. The killing continues, and the greed, and the selfishness, and the hate.
And yet... the second part of the lesson from Acts today is how the good news also continued. Luke tells the story about how the now scattered and even persecuted disciples went down to Samaria to tell others the good news. People gathered to hear, and healing happened. The lesson ends with, "So there was great joy in that city."
So the question for the day after Christmas is still the same. Which version of the world are you going to trust? Which accounting are you going to believe? Will killing and greed, selfishness and hate win? Or will the good news of Jesus Christ and the peace of God's reign win?
Christmas continues on the day after. Peace reigns. Christ rules. God wins. There is no other way...
Merry Christmas... still!
It would be nice if all was well now the day after Christmas. If the lessons and carols heard just two nights ago, and celebrated yesterday could take affect all across the globe. If peace could reign, just as God intended with the birth of Christ.
It would be nice... but it isn't so.
Luke tells the story today from the book of Acts about the stoning of Stephen. Even after Christ lived, and died, and God raised him from the dead, the killing and the hate continued. If you watch the news today or read the paper, you will see a similar accounting of the state of our world. The killing continues, and the greed, and the selfishness, and the hate.
And yet... the second part of the lesson from Acts today is how the good news also continued. Luke tells the story about how the now scattered and even persecuted disciples went down to Samaria to tell others the good news. People gathered to hear, and healing happened. The lesson ends with, "So there was great joy in that city."
So the question for the day after Christmas is still the same. Which version of the world are you going to trust? Which accounting are you going to believe? Will killing and greed, selfishness and hate win? Or will the good news of Jesus Christ and the peace of God's reign win?
Christmas continues on the day after. Peace reigns. Christ rules. God wins. There is no other way...
Merry Christmas... still!
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