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A faithful presence of love in the absences of our city.

Far as the Curse is Found

Far as the curseis found

I love Christmas. I love the excitement, the decorations, the music, and watching Kevin defeat the robbers in Home Alone as I reminisce about the Christmases of my childhood in the 90s. But in the midst of all this joy and fun there have been many years, especially in my adult life, where Christmas feels…strange. I feel glimmers of joy as I walk the aisles of Target perusing Christmas decorations or when I’m driving in my car listening to 24-7 Christmas radio, but I also feel sad. Some years the sadness is deeper as I grieve the loss of a loved one or another grim cancer diagnosis for a family member. I see sin in my own heart and in the world around me and it’s easy to lose hope.

In the midst of one of these Christmases of vacillating between joy and sorrow, I attended a church service where we sang “Joy to the World.” I had always thought of this as just a happy song about Jesus being born. But that year the third verse stuck out to me: “No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found…” Somehow at the age of 24 the power of the incarnation hit me. This is why Jesus had to enter the world as a human, this is why we celebrate advent and put our hope in the birth of Christ.

On Sunday Justin preached on the “Grief and Comfort” of God. In Noah we saw God’s sorrow over the sin and brokenness in creation, his judgment, and ultimately his grace and mercy. This is just one of many stories in the Old Testament that points us to our need for a Savior. During Advent we remember how God’s people waited for a Savior to provide the grace and mercy they so desperately needed, the comfort they longed for. Christmas this year feels bittersweet, so I am reminding myself of those words from “Joy to the World” and resting in the hope that Jesus, who came into the world as a baby and has saved us through his death, will one day completely rid the world of all the sin, death, and sadness I see around me.  

~ Chelsea Collins

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