December 14: pregnant pause

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.*

For about 400 years God was silent. The prophets had stopped warning, had stopped sharing God's promised restoration.

I'm sorry for blanking out for the last week! I have been away on a conference (which was awesome!) and then have been busy with pre-Christmas stuff. Nevertheless (for the week that I have missed) I'll share some great passages linked to the remembrance of Christ coming to earth and longing for his return.

When we wait for things we start to wondered what has happened, did we mis-hear what was happening, have we been looking in the wrong place, are they just delayed, what have we don't wrong, have we scared them off, have they decided not to come after all... The people back 2000 years ago in Israel were waiting for the Messiah, Roman rule wasn't that much fun and they longed for freedom. They looked for a warrior, for a king... someone to set them free -literally- from the situation they were in. Why didn't God give them exactly what they were looking for? Why would the Bible tell a story which doesn't fit what we would initially assume to be the promised King? How does Jesus fit into the Old Testament? Is He the fulfillment of many promises, or have Christians got it all wrong?

I'm learning that waiting is actually really healthy sometimes. Not answering a questions straight away means we have to really think about it all and wonder and wrestle. I don't have all the answers, I have part answers. I am happy to share them, but I also think I should be leaving more things open, asking more questions. How often do we hear kids ask questions, isn't it sad that we are trained to stop asking questions.
How does hail have the time to form before it falls? Why did God make humidity!? How are we supposed to say the "right thing" all the time? Why can't we talk honestly and bluntly with people?

Anyway, it might have taken a while, but in the end God did provide, he gave the world His Son. He loves the world, and although he might have left us hanging, waiting with all these questions and no immediate answers, the eventual answer was awesome! It IS awesome! There was, if I might use this phrasing, a pregnant pause in God's timing, which ended in a pregnant village virgin woman, in the baby Jesus.

*John 3:16