christmas can be a very painful and lonely time for many people. christmas can remind us of loss or loneliness. i know in conneticut there are a bunch of people who, if they never experienced this dynamic before, are experiencing this very thing this year.
in the darkest nights we often are tempted to shake our fist in the air and ask the questions seeping with accusation, "where was God when...? if there really is a loving God who is all powerful then...? why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?"
we have all been there or will be there, whether we have the guts to verbalize our latent accusations again our very Creator.
this christmas, i believe God wants to reveal to us, His beloved creation, that He really is Immanuel - God with us.
take the next 10 minutes, or keep this page open until you have 10 minutes, and watch john piper read the poem he wrote about the innkeeper who housed mary and joseph the night Jesus was born.
does God care about senseless tragedy? john piper would venture to say yes, yes He does.
i would tell you, my friend, the very same thing. watch, take out a tissue or two (don't say i didn't warn you), and be encouraged.
wishing you a merry christmas in your dark hours where the Immanuel draws near and shows you His compassion for your pain.
charis
John Piper Reads "The Innkeeper" (English subtitles) from Desiring God on Vimeo.
