Rejoicing: The Flip Side of the Coin

Christmas is romanticized for the most part. I am guilty of this as my Advent blog series indicates. Just today, I lost the Christmas joy and said to myself, "I hate Christmas." because I was frustrated with Christmas shopping. I recovered quickly and then reflected on what I planned to write about today--Herod killing the children.

Matthew 2:16-18
 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
"A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted,
because they are no more."

Frustration with Christmas shopping is petty and self-centered in comparison. While Christmas is good and beautiful and glorious in so many ways, there was a dark side as well. I cannot fathom the cries in Bethlehem that night, nor do I want to. There was no rejoicing. Those parents were reminded more than most that this world is not as it should be. And it still isn't. While we are celebrating, rejoicing, and sending glad tidings during this holiday season, let us not forget the Rachels with us today, those who are weeping because their loved ones are no more: friends who are grieving, Syrian refugees, South Sudanese Christians, families of human trafficking victims, and too many more. Christmas is for rejoicing, and it is good and right to do so, but let us not forget those who are weeping. This world is not as it should be.

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