[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during December 2020]
And so a new month begins. December heralds the season of goodwill to all men, domestic stress for the ladies and unrealistic expectations on the part of the children. Having disposed of ‘Black Friday’, the TV channels are now replete with adverts trying to convince us that we haven’t spent enough already and the dark evenings do not allow us to seek respite by doing something useful in the garden.
December 2009 brought to the UK one of the coldest winters of recent years. Nation-wide the cold caused damage estimated at £700 million, whilst temperatures as low as -17C were recorded in parts of Surrey. To the disappointment of many, the Thames did not freeze so no repeat of those images of ice fairs so beloved by chocolate boxes designers.
In December last year COVID-19 was still an obscure ailment afflicting the residents of a small town on the other side of the globe; twelve months later it is having a global impact on political priorities, commercial activities and personal behaviour. Now with rapid travel and even faster news, it has come right into our homes. Meeting with friends is restricted but online shopping does at least offer the chance of social interaction with the delivery driver and the postman.
December also marks the season of Advent. Advent is a word of Latin provenance meaning coming or arrival and, for many Christians, it represents a period especially associated with the coming of Christ. Even as we anticipate the celebrations of His first coming we are reminded that He will be coming again. In that context I can do no better than remind you of the words that the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica:
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever. [1 Thessalonians ch4 v16-17 nivuk]
All over the world, people are waiting for the chance to enjoy a break from the troubles of this year. What are you waiting for?
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
