Comfort And Joy

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples, a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. 

The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. (Isaiah 25:6-10)

COVID rages, and this virus will be with us and entire world for some time to come.  We all struggle to cope and social distance.  Distancing during Advent and certainly at Christmas will be the cause of much dismay quite contrary to the popular Christmas carol with these lyrics: God rest you merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.  For Jesus Christ our Saviour was born upon this day to save us from Satan’s power when we were gone astray: O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. O tidings of comfort and joy.

Many of us will not be feasting with rich foods and choice wines because we have lost loved ones.  Our hearts are starving for them.   We cannot rest, try as we will.   Still, we hope and pray that God will wipe away the tears from our faces. We especially pray the dismal veil of disease will no longer be woven over all nations.

And, we have hope in the form of vaccines developed by scientists charged to protect public health.  God bless these merry gentlemen and gentlewomen helping to save us from Satan’s power.  Vaccines will bring us comfort and, we hope, joy in 2021.

Deacon David Pierce