Do you see what I see?

It really is that time of year again. A time when gift giving comes to the forefront of our consciousness and traditions take prominence. Conversations turn towards family and songs about peace begin anew. Yet amidst it all there often hangs the dismal cloud of dismay. Disbelief shrouds pessimism, covering our path forward in doubt and despair.

“And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
    “For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”*

And so we trudge along with less spring in our step following our man made star of cynicism. Blurred vision and self-sightedness guide the way, but then we come to a bridge. It seems old and rugged. At times it may even appear too fantastical to be real. Yet regardless of our perspective, it is still there. The very bridge we need when there is no other way to cross the bottomless chasm we see in front of ourselves? The bridge is anchored in a foundation deeper than Earth’s core. It’s anchor is love.

Do you see what I see? A bridge, a bridge, shining in the night. It can lead us straight to the Light.

The Bridge

From Uncreated Light to straw…

From perfect triune harmony to cloth…

Omnipotent to frail…

Eternal to Infancy…

Joy, unspeakable joy. An overflowing well, No tongue can tell.

Joy, unspeakable joy. Rises in my soul, Never lets me go.**

…From straw to wood

…From cloth to nails

…Frail to power

…Infancy to eternity

Christmas is the bridge to the cross. And the cross is our bridge to God.

 

It truly is a time when we remember that all can be made right. A time when our wrongs can be restored by crossing the bridge.

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The Wrong shall fail,
    The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”*

* Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

** Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy) by Chris Tomlin