Emmanuel

We who mourn in lonely exile, where death’s dark shadows still linger, and the gloomy clouds of night still hang.

But in those dark streets shineth an everlasting light, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Hopes? Fears? Met? But those gloomy clouds still seem to shadow.

I still hope.

I still fear.

Ferguson. Murders. Car crashes. Cancer. Domestic violence. Family members not speaking to each other. Aching knees, failing memories, and aging. Single waiting for marriage. Pregnancy waiting for a child, or infertility, or another miscarriage. Persecution. Daily decisions, anxieties. Bills and budgets. Waiting for a package to arrive. Expecting a pay raise or promotion.

Met?

Yes. It is one of the bold, bold statements. Amazing statements when we really think about it. Earth-shattering, heaven-ripping, cloud-opening, mountain-joying, tree-singing, rocks-clapping statements:

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20).

“And on earth, peace” (Luke 2:14).

“We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:16).

“…because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk. 1:78-79).

This glory-revealing, light-shining, darkness-piercing, cloud-breaking revelation of Shekinah glory was…

in a manger.

Emmanuel.

God with Us.

Listen again—Emmanuel.

Do we need peace?

He is our peace (Eph. 2:14), in a rebellious, restless, hate-filled world.

Do we need wisdom?

He is our wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3), in the foolishness of man and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1).

Do we need power to right the world?

Christ, the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24; Mat. 24:30; Mat. 28:19), in a helpless babe.

Do we need strength to persevere?

Christ, our perseverance (2 Thes. 3:5), in a homeless man, rejected and betrayed, crushed for us who are in exile and sojourning (1 Pet. 2:11).

Do we need love?

Christ, in whom we are the beloved (Eph. 1:6; Jn. 17:23); the enemies reconciled.

Do we need light?

Christ, the light of the world (Jn. 1; Jn. 8:12; Jn. 9:5), in a world of darkness.

Do we need hope beyond this life?

Christ, the Eternal Life (Jn. 17:3). Christ, the hope of glory (Col. 3:4) to those still groaning (Rom. 8:21-28).

Do we need joy?

Christ, the giver of full joy (Jn. 15:11; Jn. 16:24) to those troubled (Jn. 16:33).

Do we need life?

Christ, our life (Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:4), to those whose bodies are outwardly wasting away.

What do you need? Now, this moment?

Emmanuel.

He does not just give us a blessing—he gives us himself. He does not give us a map and send us on our way to walk alone. He does not just give us a set of moral guidelines or advice on how to survive and set us off with a good luck. He does not just fill the fridge with premade meals and then tell us to serve ourselves. He gives us himself—Emmanuel, God With Us, God All Sufficient For Every Need and Every Hope and Every Fear.

Met.

Clouds rip and glory cascades down,

In a manger,

In a hospital waiting room,

In a kitchen when the day has been so stressful but there still needs to be a meal on the table,

In a den desk where bills are piling up,

With a drunk husband on the floor,

When another day goes by and still as single as yesterday.

Emmanuel, the light in darkness, the hope in our waiting, the yes while fears still linger.

Manger, paradox.

Our life, paradox.

But the truth remains—Emmanuel, God With Us, God With You.