THE LAST RIVER MILE

A daily devotional resource I use (Lectio 365) recently included this piece by Malcomb Guile, in anticipation of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth:

“Come to us Wisdom, come unspoken Name,

Come Root, and Key, and King, and holy Flame,

O quickened little wick so tightly curled,

Be folded with us into time and place,

Unfold for us the mystery of grace

And make of womb of this wounded world.”

Make a womb of this wounded world…what a perplexing and alluring concept. The Christ Child comes to bring healing to a wounded world, to be sure. But Jesus doesn’t just come to afford us escape from the wounded world. And he doesn’t come only the judge a wounded world. Guile suggests that God made known in Jesus has the power to make even a wounded, divided, unjust, sin-ridden, suffering world the birthing place of the Savior of the world. Jesus doesn’t come to us apart from a wounded world. He comes from the very midst of it.

What if in the very mess of this uncertain, unequal, untethered, depressed, fearful, hateful, and divided era, the One whose birth we celebrate is birthing something totally and blindingly new?

A blessed, peace-filled, comforting, and purposeful Christmas to all. I’ll see you around the next bend in the river.