In the meantime

 

I really enjoyed this year’s series of I am a celebrity get me out of here. Full of lovely people and great conversations. For those of you who do not watch it, the premise is that a group of celebrities are thrown into the Australian jungle for three weeks with just small rations of rice and beans to eat. The celebs then do awful trials to win food for camp. The trials are certainly awful. You would not volunteer… except for perhaps one. The cyclone trial happens on the penultimate evening when the camp is down to four celebrities. They face a steep hill, covered in plastic, with four stars engraved on the plastic. The premise is to climb the hill and place your own star on the star on the hill and remain there until the end of the task. Easy! Except, think slip and slide… fire hoses spraying water, obstacles being thrown – all to knock the celebrities of their feet and back to the bottom of the hill.

I think the cyclone trial is a metaphor for life. My role is a missional listener, and the things I hear most at the moment are:  ‘I am at max,’ ‘I am overwhelmed,’ ‘I am exhausted’, ‘I am not coping’.   I also hear about possible futures where life will be more balanced with comments like; ‘when I am through this period of time life will be easier, but in the meantime I will just struggle on’, or, ‘when I have changed job’, ‘when the baby is sleeping through the night’, ‘when I am out of debt’, ‘when the kids are older’, ‘I will be able to live a balanced life, but in the meantime, I will just struggle on’.   Like the celebrities, we look up and see the lives we want, but we are constantly blown of course as the things of the world are thrown at us. We see what life could be but are unable to get there.

Life does not happen in the imaginary future; life happens in the meantime.

Once again…

Life does not happen in the imaginary future; life happens in the meantime.

The Christmas story is full of hope. Full of hope for tomorrow. But the Christmas story is also full of hope for today. People’s lives were turned around at the very mention of Jesus. Joy came to people whilst Mary carried Jesus in her womb. Transformation came when people met him as a baby. And of course, that baby became a man – and that man would lead people to life. After his death and resurrection, he has been transforming lives for centuries, building His church. And even today we can know the peace, joy, love, and hope that Jesus promises. But… that hope is not to magically take us from our present chaotic lives to an imaginary future. The hope is, God can transform our meantime. The shepherds were called to meet the baby Jesus. They had their lives turned around; they responded to the angels call to ‘shout about it to everyone.’   But as  the gospel account continues it simply says that after they met Jesus, they went back to their everyday lives, their meantime – the caring of their animals. This time they went back having encountered the very presence of God. They returned with the knowledge of ultimate love. This time they went understanding the story; that God is making all things new, and they (and we) are called to join in the beautiful story.

The Christmas miracle is that in the meantime, as we traverse the brokenness of our world – if we dare receive the gift of Jesus, what we receive is not a miracle that might happen in the future when all is well but a miracle right here and right now – transforming the meantime.  Because…

Life does not happen in the imaginary future; life happens in the meantime.

Strictly come dancing has been incredible this year. Simply joyful. Chris, the blind winner, utterly extraordinary. For me, like many, the highlight was the extraordinary choreography to his dance to never walk alone. Chris, completely vulnerable and struggling, all alone, tentatively stepping forward… but then suddenly, his partner Diane meets him, and they spin in what feels like endless beauty. The joy this Christmas is that you do not have to traverse the meantime alone, but with God present with you, making everyday life in all its fullness. So… may you receive the greatest gift, the presence of God, in your meantime - transforming it from not coping, overwhelmed to peace, joy, hope and love.

 

Happy Christmas.