Waiting & knowing

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age …. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)

We have seen God’s salvation. We have heard the tale once more and imagined Jesus’ infant face in a dark stable.

Having seen him, we remember the tenderness of our own children, tiny hands clutching our finger, the comfort of flesh-to-flesh, wordless love filling our eyes with tears of wonder and praise for the Source of life.

Those moments teach us salvation’s truth, the wholeness of a love that can fill the soul beyond any capacity. This is redemption of our humanity, the awakening of a love that fills every corner of our being, flushing out every doubt, all despair and any cynicism we feel about the emptiness of life or absence of God.

And now, having been touched again by the miracle of his love, we wait. This is our life, the life of faith. We see and know that God is faithful to the promise of presence. The Holy One comes in this child that we may see and fall in love with him that every broken place in our hearts and history might find healing.

We wait and hope, like old Anna, that this faithful God, who loves beyond our imagination, will come to us again … and again … and again ... long beyond our Christmas celebrations.

And like her we pray and watch, doing so as those who know, who have been graced with moments of Love’s fullness redeeming our humanity, forgiving every sin, lifting us from every failing, reminding us that the One who comes will again. 

Every day. Just watch. It’s a promise.

Pr. David L. Miller