A Symbol of Hope

 

John 6:30 (NET) - So they said to him, "Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?

Throughout His earthly ministry, people asked Jesus for miraculous signs.

Truthfully speaking, these requests were more like demands.

According to their reasoning, this would cause them to believe.

With all that is going on in the world today, perhaps we desire the miraculous even more.

We would like Jesus to end the pandemic.

We would like for Him to heal all division.

Some might even ask Him to restore the economy.

The list goes on.

But faith neither expects nor demand a miraculous sign or wonder.

Faith simply believes.

That is why I enjoy the season of Advent so much.

We surround ourselves with symbols of the season.

One of my personal favorites is the Moravian star.

It began in Moravian boarding schools in the nineteenth century 

Originally designed as a lesson in geometry, it became so much more.

Carried around the world by missionaries and church workers, it became a symbol.

It is now a symbol of Advent.

It is a symbol of hope.

The hope we have as we approach the day of celebration.

The celebration of the birth of Jesus two thousand years ago.

For in Christ lies real hope.

This, I believe, is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions.

It is not about us reaching up to a distant god.

Christianity is about how the loving God reached down to us.

And he did so in the most surprising of ways.

Christ did not come to us as a general or political ruler.

He did not even come to us as an adult.

Christ came to us as an infant; one born to obedient parents in humble surroundings.

So, do not expect or demand miraculous signs and wonders.

Instead, have faith; have hope!

The reminders are all around us.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 11, 2020.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 18, 2020