Brian McLaren wrote: “We must keep Herod in Christmas for we believe in a God who feels the pain of every mother weeping for a lost son or daughter, a God who is suffering alongside every child hurting because of the greedy, power-hungry and insecure elites; and a God who feels the pain and comes near to bring comfort to people everywhere to hear their weeping. Herod emulated the horrible behavior of Pharaoh centuries before in the days of Moses. The story of Herod tells us once again that the world can’t be simply divided between the good guys - us - and the bad guys - them- because like Herod, members of us will behave no differently from them, given the power and provocation. So all people face the same profound questions -- how will we manage power? How will be deal with violence?” And we might add, “How will we stay aware of our privileged status?”
I love McLaren’s reminder of how God feels pain with us. And, remembering how we might mirror the wickedness of this man in our stances, our beliefs, and our choices is crucial especially as we look toward entering a new year. This is the last Sunday of the year. Join us as we look toward all God might be speaking to us as we move from 2018 and how God might be leading us into this new season.
