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Dear friends,
A week ago, we celebrated Gaudete Sunday, the day Christians turn from the minor melodies of early Advent to a full rejoicing in the coming of Christ. What followed that week was nothing short of horrific, with a mass shooting in Australia as Jewish crowds celebrated Hanukkah and another at Brown University while students studied for finals.
More than a million soldiers have been killed or wounded since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The land of Gaza lies in ruins, and 2 million Palestinians have been displaced. The Sudanese people face starvation. ICE raids continue in U.S. cities, and military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean have resulted in 104 deaths. The Epstein files are a chilling reminder of the sexual abuse and psychological harm perpetrated by men obsessed with power.
So much pain, death, and destruction. How can joy possibly break through? This is the mystery of faith and the promise of Christmas. Both Mary’s Magnificat and Isaac Watts’ Joy to the World reflect unexpected joy in deeply troubled times. A frightened peasant woman sings “My soul magnifies the Lord” and eventually gives birth to the Prince of Peace in a lowly stable. Psalm 98 joyfully proclaims God’s reign to a people who walked in the darkness of slavery in Egypt and captivity in Babylon.
A profound spiritual irony lies in the discovery of joy amid the hardships of grief, cruelty, and brokenness. Many of us pray for family members and friends who are suffering these days. No matter what humanity must bear, joy is possible because it is born of relentless hope, of a love that can overcome hate and injustice, and a peace that passes all human understanding.
In 1849 a Unitarian minister named Edmund Hamilton Sears wrote with melancholy the words “It came upon a midnight clear” as he reflected on the social upheaval in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War and the years preceding the Civil War:
“And you, beneath life’s crushing load whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way, with painful steps and slow,
Look now for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing!”
For many of us the road has felt weary since the beginning of COVID, nearly six years ago. We have endured so many challenges and so much change. Yet despite it all, we keep the faith. Despite it all, we sing with joy. Despite it all, we cling to hope. Despite it all, we share the love of Jesus. Joy comes not in the absence of trouble, but in the fullness of God’s grace. So may it be for you!
On behalf of the entire Conference staff, I wish you a Merry Christmas and pray that the peace of Christ will bless and keep you this season.
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