12-18-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 18, 2025
I was crushed when the Nebraska Women’s Volleyball team was upset by Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament over the weekend. I felt really bad, and then I watched an interview with one of the players, and I realized how hurt she felt. However, I then read an article about how children are still dying in Gaza, which was then followed by a news story describing the shooting on the campus of Brown University, then the mass shooting in Australia, and then the killing of the Reiners. And those were just some of the stories making the headlines. 

We live in a world where there are many reasons a person might feel sadness, and while I don’t believe it should ever be a competition, there are some events that are probably more tragic and devastating than others. And as of late, it seems like there’s a race to the bottom, with people trying to be more insulting and lacking in any sort of empathy and decency. I want to return to a place where feeling bad about my volleyball team losing doesn’t seem shallow. 

The birth of the Christ Child is for me a way God says to the world, “You’re worth saving.” There are days when I want to tell God, “It looks as if we might be a lost cause.” That’s probably a bit over the top, yet for all the good that is happening in the world, I don’t know if we are making much of an inroad in regard to the hate and mean-spiritedness. Yet every Christmas, we celebrate God arriving in the world with what the shepherds heard as good news of great joy. I don’t believe it was a onetime event, but something God continues to do over and over again. Despite the headlines, I do cling to some hope at this time of the year, believing in a God who refuses to give up on us.

Thank you for your patience, O Eternal Source of Love. You have and continue to work with us, even in our worst moments. It is your faithfulness that encourages us to be faithful, even when we question whether faithfulness will make any difference. Amen.