Right in the centre - Mixed emotions but no mixed message

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Published on Thursday, December 17, 2015

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

This Christmas is one of mixed emotions. As a family, we have never been more blessed. We are thankful for so many things. Our family is healthy and growing.

We have three single men in our immediate midst and they keep bringing home very nice girl friends. Our great-grandson is standing strong, leaning on his wrapped Christmas presents at only seven months of age. Our community is growing and our business interests are strong and growing.

However, outside of our family circle, we have many concerns. Many families we know have members that are suffering from illness. As we get older, it’s inevitable that more of our friends and acquaintances face death and dying. That presents a sadness that counter balances our happiness.

On the larger stage, the world about us, there are many more concerns. I have never been more discouraged about world affairs. I can barely remember the Korean war, but my late brother was in it. It was a sad time. My brothers and parents, uncles and aunts all experienced the effects of WWII. While at university and in my early working career, the horrors of the Viet Nam war became self-evident. Canada has had troops and tragic losses in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Somehow, all these experiences, although they have only barely touched and affected me personally, seem a bit muted in comparison to what we are facing today. Extremism and terrorism have elevated war to levels that are fearsome beyond measure. Certainly the horrors of past wars, past genocides and the holocaust far exceeded our recent events, but there’s a new dimension that takes today’s extremism to new heights or perhaps new lows.

In most parts of most of the wars of the past century, one could make some general assumptions. One assumption was that the enemy was usually identifiable by uniform or insignia. The second was that the enemy, when they came to the end of their options, wanted to survive as much as you did. Reasonable combatants, assuming that there is such a thing, will surrender when faced with impossible odds or situations.

Those two assumptions don’t exist in today’s war. Not only do they not exist, the terrorists make no effort to be identified and they believe they are happier dead than alive. They also think they are doing us a favour for killing us for not adhering to their beliefs.

So with two highly contrasting scenarios going through my mind, it’s difficult not to despair amidst all of my surrounding blessings. It’s hard to be happy when there is so much sadness in the world. One must look for a solid footing, not elevated by blessings and not down trodden by tragedies. That perhaps is one of the best reasons for explaining the meaning of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is a time of happiness, celebration and blessing. But it’s much more.

No matter how blessed we have been nor how tragic things become, the baby Jesus was born to be a Saviour. His saving grace is available to those who are happy and blessed and those who we see as utterly and violently depraved. The saving grace isn’t based on how good we are nor is damnation based on how bad we are. It’s based only on our acceptance. Just as the sun shines on everyone, the blue sky is blue to all and “the rain falls on the just and the unjust”, the Saviour can be and is willing to be the Saviour of all.

Peace to all and a prayer for a blessed future.