The blog below is in collaboration with this episode of “What’s God Doing”
On December 16, 2011 between 1 am and 2 am a flash flood went through the city of Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.
At one point 75% of the city was under water; some places were 35 meters under water. The water went to 8 feet within 30 seconds. Thousands lost their lives just a couple of weeks before Christmas.
We had just got back from Thailand and were making plans for our move there. We as a family decided to give more than half our clothes and a bulk of our furniture to victims of the flood.
A day or so after the flood the Mayor came on TV, and with more than half the city destroyed and with no running water, he said, “We can’t celebrate Christmas with so much destruction.” It was dark times.
When Jesus was born it was also dark times in Israel. They had a power-crazy man over them named King Herod. Roman oppression was strong; once Herod figured out a baby who would be called “King of Kings” would be born in Bethlehem, he had all the baby boys under two years old killed. Much mourning took place that night.
Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt to hide Jesus from Herod until his death. They lived there as refuges in a strange land with people who were very ungodly and who spoke a much different language.
Christmas is about Jesus coming and being a light in a dark world. It was dark times then as it is dark times now; but our hope is in Jesus.
Just as Christmas lights light up the night, Jesus is the Light that shines into our darkness and gives hope.
It is in the dark times we need to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus.
You may be facing financial difficulty or can’t find a job: look toward the Christmas Light.
You maybe facing the death of a loved one: He gives hope to the mourning.
Jesus is our hope. Jesus is our light.
The most important time of all to celebrate Christmas is in the dark seasons of our lives. May the Light of Christmas (Jesus) shine bright in your Christmas season.
