Day 2/December 26 Devotion

Reflection by Eric Randolph

Like so many of us, I look forward to the tradition of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning services. But, for months, in the back of my mind, I’ve known this Christmas season was going to look and feel different because, maybe more than any other Christmas in my life, there is going to be more sadness and grief this year. Acknowledging my own sadness and grief as we enter into these twelve days has let me experience differently the hope Christ’s birth proclaims to our troubled world. His birth, over 2,000 years ago, was a profound act of love, of commitment, of liberation. The exercise of claiming my vulnerabilities coming into this season has allowed me to see the divine light more brightly. It has liberated me from the darkness of ten-months of uncertainty and upheaval and brought me in deeper relationship with God and neighbor. Today’s devotional text is a reminder that God, all those years ago, experienced the same vulnerabilities and more, to care for us and save us from the darkness.

Isaiah 63:9

It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Questions to Ponder

1. How are you feeling today? 
2. What holds you back from sharing your feelings? 
3. How has the gospel helped you embrace your vulnerability? 

Silence for Reflection

Prayer

The following prayer is an English translation of the Tefilat Haderech or Jewish wayfarer’s prayer: 

May it be your will, Lord, our God and the God of our ancestors, that you lead us toward peace, guide our footsteps toward peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace. May you rescue us from the hand of every foe, ambush along the way, and from all manner of punishments that assemble to come to earth. May you send blessing in our handiwork, and grant us grace, kindness, and mercy in your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us. May you hear the sound of our humble request because you are God who hears prayer requests. Blessed are you, Lord, who hears prayer. Amen.