Read Matthew 2:1-12. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth shows four main types of responses to Jesus— that still hold true today. 

Herod
This man decided to be an enemy of God and a tool of Satan. When he tried to kill Jesus, he literally did the work of an anti-Christ. He had no real claim to the throne. He was a descendant of Esau, not Israel who was set up as a puppet dictator/king by Caesar. Not that many of us have to deal with people like Herod that hate Jesus so much they would try to outright destroy his church or those who carry his name. Most of us deal more often with passive-aggressive types who simply want to marginalize Jesus Christ, his teachings and his church. We do however face a very real threat. As government becomes less and less tolerant of Christians in the name of being more and more tolerant of everyone else, we find ourselves in a fight of sorts. However, the question a Christ-follower must ask is not “What is wrong” and fall into fear of the future. Rather, we are to ask “What is the right attitude to have about this and what should I do in response?”

The People of Jerusalem
These people heard about Jesus’ birth and their first response is the same as Herod’s—they are “troubled.” They selfishly and fearfully wondered how this birth and Herod being upset about it could negatively impact them. Given Herod’s volatility/insanity it was a valid question except for one thing. We are never to act out of fear. Instead we must act in faith. Nelson Mandela, who died yesterday took up violence to bring about justice but changed his ways and found that the way to deal with tyranny is not to repay evil for evil. He even forgave his prison guards and gave them a prominent seat at his inauguration. No matter what happens around us, if we operate in faith instead of fear and do the right thing by the guidance of Scripture and the Spirit, we will be fine.

The Chief Priests and Scribes
They were experts, but they did not use their expert knowledge to serve God, instead they served Herod. They did not confront Herod with scripture. Instead, they simply quoted scripture that prophesied a shepherd/ruler would come from Bethlehem and went home. The right response would have been to run to Bethlehem and join the worship. James said that to know to do good and then not do it is sin (James 4:17). If we know the truth, we must act on it—we must act on him—because the truth is not a thing, it is a person. It is Jesus. The priests and scribes knew a lot, but did very little.

The Magi
This is the amazing thing about the magi as opposed to the priests and scribes. These are about as far from Jews as one can get. They were Zoroastrian stargazers. They studied the Zodiac. We would call them astrologers. Yet, rather than the high priests of Israel leading the way to worship the Messiah—the truly wise were the outsiders who no Jew would have considered to be “wise men.” They are the ones who put their lives on hold for months and spend a fortune on lavish gifts and travel in order to worship the King of Kings. Unlike the priests and scribes, these foreigners knew very little, but they made full use of that knowledge and got to worship the Messiah. They left a royal court where they lived and followed a star to find treasure that money cannot buy. They got to meet the Creator of the Universe and fall at his feet.

In 1987, the great Scottish pastor and storyteller Donald Robertson who ministered on the beaches of Marina Del Rey, California passed away while making his rounds to parishioners on the beach. What follows is my favorite story from his journal. It is my favorite, because it is a true story:

Bill was the superintendent of a large rescue mission in a huge American city. He was a fine Christian with a big heart who had the responsibility of handling a large staff that ministered to very needy men in the heart of the city. These ‘skid row derelicts’ came to the mission daily looking for food, clothes and shelter for survival.

Frank was one of these men, a long-term alcoholic. He was a regular at the rescue mission. In fact, he was a confirmed freeloader. Day after day, year after year, Frank was there, getting whatever he could. He always had his hand out; he was always taking advantage of those who worked sacrificially at the mission, many of them volunteers. When he wasn’t drunk, he was at the mission. But he never once seemed to make any effort to change.

Bill, the superintendent, finally lost his patience with Frank. One day, tired and emotionally drained by a hectic schedule, Bill took Frank aside. He said to him very firmly, ‘Frank, I’m disgusted with you. You have been coming in here for years. You go out and get drunk, and then you come back here every night for a free ride. You use our showers, eat our food, use our beds, take the clothes we offer, and you make no effort to give anything back. And you seem to make no effort whatever to change. I’ve had it with you Frank. Please leave and don’t come back.’

Without saying a word, Frank walked out of the building. At the end of the day, Bill turned off his office lights and headed for the front door of the mission, thinking of the restful evening with his family that awaited him at home. But when Bill opened the front door of the building, he was hit in the face by cold sheets of rain driven by a strong, gusty wind. Immediately the question struck him, ‘What about Frank? How can I possibly go home to a warm fire when he is out there somewhere in this storm? No way. I can’t do it.’

So, Bill grabbed an umbrella and ran out into the driving rain looking for Frank. Getting soaked himself, Bill scurried around the dingy downtown streets, peering through the pelting rain. Finally, he spotted a figure huddled in the narrow doorway of a deserted building, holding a newspaper over his head. Bill approached, and sure enough, it was Frank. He was shivering from the cold and wet. Bill grabbed Frank and, looking into his eyes, said, ‘Frank, I want you to come back. I’m going to give you one more chance.’ Frank and Bill shivered together as they shared the umbrella back to the mission.

A few years after that, Bill died suddenly. The Board of Directors of the mission prayerfully considered who they could find to replace the seemingly indispensable Bill as superintendent of the mission. They unanimously agreed on one man. His name?

Frank.

Yes, Frank, the lazy, dirty, drunken freeloader. Yes, Frank, who also got ‘one more chance.’ The potential was there all the time. That pathetic creature huddled in the rain was potentially Frank, the superintendent of the mission. Frank, the one man to carry on the great work of his predecessor, Bill.

Christ made the difference. The potential is there in all of us. Don’t give up on yourself. And the potential is there in others, too. Don’t give up on others, because the apparently ‘hopeless case’ may turn out to be another Frank. Remember, God is not through with us yet. “All things are possible with God.”

What does this have to do with Christmas? Everything. Advent is the celebration of God giving everyone another chance. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17)

A traditional part of our family’s Christmas celebration is an Advent calendar. The first time I bought one was at a German deli about 30 years ago. If you haven’t seen one, they are a cross between a jigsaw puzzle and a box of chocolates. Printed on the front is a large picture of something portraying the Christmas season. This year the calendars I purchased have a picture that resembles the “Whos” gathering around the Christmas tree in Dr. Seuss’s “Whoville” on Christmas day. Then, spread over the larger picture are smaller segments of the picture that stand as pictures on their own with a face, tree, balloon, ornament, etc. Over these smaller pictures, a number is printed for each of the 24 days of December leading up to Christmas. These dates cover perforated cardboard openings that one pries open and act like a hinged door—and here is the best part—behind each door/portrait/number is a piece of chocolate! So, today, I opened door 4 and found a piece of chocolate formed in the shape of a poinsettia leaf. What a great excuse to eat chocolate.

The Advent season itself is part of a greater whole. What I mean is that the story of Christmas does not stand alone. It is what the postmodern philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard might label as a petit narrative, or at least the stories of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, etc. who had their personal stories. Lyotard promoted the idea that there are no overarching stories in life that explain everything—what he called metanarratives. He said that petit narratives are all that matter. He thought that only individual’s stories give explanation for life. I disagree. That kind of relativism came about as a reaction to failed or abusive metanarratives like Marxism, Darwinism, or abusive false religions--even cults claiming to be Christian. While I can understand rejecting false metanarratives—like the idea that science can explain everything—I am not willing to make the leap that there is no such thing as an overarching story that gives meaning to everything.

The story of Advent is part of a greater story, an overarching story of a good Creator who created a good world and partnered with humans to make it even better. But in order to have freedom—freedom to love or freedom not to love—the Creator gave humans the power to choose. Unfortunately, humans chose wrong. They believed a lie. But the Creator did not give up on His creation—none of it. When God pronounced each part of His creation as good—the universe, the stars, planets, and moons; the earth; the oceans, the land; the mountains; the birds; the fish; the land animals and finally humans—He never backed off of His commitment to His creation.

So, even though humans goofed up the plan, God chose a nation to spread His light and love through creation, but they also failed. Then, this good God came in person to save His creation and make sure that His ambition to be with His creation in relationship forever would be accomplished. This is what we celebrate at Advent. This is the grand metanarrative I believe explains and gives meaning to my life and everything and everyone else. God is a good God and I expect to meet Him someday face to face and spend eternity with Him.

I reject Lyotard’s idea. There is a great story, and you and I are a part of it, whether we choose to accept it or make the foolish choice to reject it. I hope you will take the leap of faith and accept it--accept Him. I have, and with all the regrets I may have, accepting the truth of the story of the Bible is something I’ve never regretted. Plus, I love happy endings. The story that God so loved the world (in Greek kosmos--all creation) that He sent His son to take the death sentence Adam and Eve earned is a story of the good God who loves and is totally committed to be in relationship with you and me. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:3-4 ESV)

C.S. Lewis labeled the Incarnation "the Grand Miracle." He wrote: "The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation.... Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this.... It was the central event in the history of the Earth—the very thing that the whole story has been about" (Miracles, chapter 14).

Most people would say the grandest miracle was something else … blind Bartimaeus, curing leprosy, raising Lazarus from the dead, or Jesus’ resurrection. But as Lewis points out, all other miracles either paved the way for this or happened as a result of the Incarnation.

Can you imagine the anticipation of the angels as they waited for God’s directive to go to the shepherds in the field outside Bethlehem to make that glorious announcement? From the time Gabriel made his statement to Mary all of heaven must have been abuzz with anticipation. My imagination runs a little wild when I think about a bunch of crusty shepherds tending their flocks one cold desert night. It was a clear night in the desert, so they were probably grousing about the chilly weather as so many workers tend to do on the second-shift outdoors. I can also imagine the stunned silence when the angels appeared to them. Every account in the Bible where an angel appears there seems to be terror. No kidding. When a giant creature comes out of nowhere with a glowing white garment it would tend to terrorize. But imagine a “host” of them coming out of nowhere on a dark desert night! I can imagine an innumerable multitude populating every hill surrounding them. Then, the announcement: “Why are you standing here dumbfounded? Go see the baby-Savior!” Then, as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared.

Inexplicably, they took off toward the a stable on the edge of the village and upon arrival could do nothing but bow before the infant-king. I love the understatement of the account in Luke 2: 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. I think “they went with haste” is hilarious. I can imagine them gathering up their robes and sprinting!

When we stop thinking of the shepherds, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the stable as a cute nativity set with everything in miniature, our imagination is free to think about the awesomeness of the scene. Truly, at that moment—at this moment—when considering the “grand miracle” the only reasonable thing to do is bow before the king in worship and join in the chorus: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill among men.”

The story of Jesus’ birth was not a neatly packaged holiday tale like one would see on a Hallmark holiday special. This story is full of details that are anything but tidy. An unwed pregnancy at that time and in that culture was not just socially unacceptable—it was dangerous. The long trip to Bethlehem—at a cost the young couple could ill afford was financially overwhelming. The birth of the baby without a home, a doctor, or a sanitary natal-care unit was physically hazardous. Then, after surmounting those obstacles, they must go into exile to Egypt to escape the jealousy and neurosis of Herod which must have been emotionally wrenching at the very least. Some Christians I know today would say that these things could not be God’s will because “they just don’t have a peace about all the trouble.” Yet the Bible says that it was in the fullness of time—meaning the exact right time—that God sent forth His son.

Most of us have asked for a miracle—pled with God to intervene in a situation and redirect circumstances. But miracles can be messy. When they come they are violent. Not violent always in the sense we make think. What I mean is that they violate the status quo. So even when miracles result in peace the beginning may look a bit messy. The violence of the world stands in stark contrast to the way of Jesus—the Prince of Peace. When will we become the People of Peace?

The prophet Isaiah foresaw a day when “they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks…Never again will they learn war.” Isaiah 2:4 Weapons become farming implements. Violence will cease. But before that peace comes, violence must be done to the chaos and evil of this world. That is why Jesus said during His ministry “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Mt. 10:34)

How can Jesus be the Prince of Peace and make a statement like that? To bring real peace—real shalom—the present kingdom of darkness must be overthrown by the kingdom of light. A statement Jesus made after His resurrection to the disciples gives us a clue as to how this will happen. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21-22)

The Incarnation is about God on a mission. He means to restore His image-bearers and defeat the powers of darkness and He means to use us in the process. God became one with us by incarnation that we might become one with Him by the Spirit’s incorporation. And being one with God relationally we cannot help but be missional like God. Miracles are messy because they change the status quo. Lord, may we be messy peacemakers—shalom-bringers—image bearers. May the forces of darkness shudder when a peacemaker draws near just as the legion of demons cried out in the Gadarene demoniac when Jesus appeared on the other side of the lake in area of the dead—the tombs. May we have the fortitude to imitate Jesus and be a troublemaking peacemaker. What a glorious paradox. Miracles are messy. Lord send a miracle anyway! Your kingdom come, Your will be done.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7

The “Yes” of Jesus
The coming of God in-the-flesh began with a “yes.” It is true that Mary said “yes” to Gabriel which is an amazing display of childlike faith. Mary’s “yes” was not the first “yes” required for the Incarnation to take place however. It is important to remember that Creation and the Incarnation are inextricable. God’s commitment of Himself to this finite and fragile creation is a first act of self-humiliation on God’s part—an act continued in His descent into flesh, reaching its pinnacle in Christ’s self-surrender to death on the cross. “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8) reveals there was already a cross in the heart of God before the world was created. Thus, the plan for God to be a human was a Trinitarian plan. The Father loved and sent, the Son humbled himself and came, and the Spirit conceived and empowered.

The “Yes” of Mary
In the Greek text, Gabriel speaks 118 words, whereas Mary utters only 17. This disproportion may be due to the enormity of the announcement, but it also seems to highlight Mary’s submission. It is simple obedience. In essence, after the enormity of the implications of Gabriel hits Mary, she simply says “so be it.”

The Upshot
The combination of Jesus’ “yes” and Mary’s “yes” are the reason we have hope. Without the incarnation—without Jesus doing what Adam as an individual and Israel as a nation did not do—we would be stuck in our mess. Instead, we have hope. It must be noted that the “yesses” of Jesus and Mary are not based in contractual or legal terms—they are based in relationship. The very life of Jesus is not simply about transactions. His actions proceed from His being, not the other way around. It must be at the top of one’s mind continually that the Incarnation, Ministry, Atonement, Resurrection and other events in the life of Jesus are mysteries of His being, not simply transactions—even the atonement. Jesus as YHWH en-fleshed, is “I Am-ing”— not transacting. The narrative shows Jesus being the Redeemer, not doing redemption. Jesus’ “I Am” sayings in John’s gospel demonstrate this claim. Irenaeus would say that Mary’s delivery of Jesus from her womb delivers humans, not something He did later.

In His birth, the births of all humanity are recapitulated. And in His circumcision all humans are afforded the opportunity to become a Jew. (Col. 2:11) Likewise, in His baptism, temptation, cross, and resurrection, Jesus recapitulates the failures of humanity and turns them into triumph by being God in flesh. And now, Jesus shows us what it is like to live in a glorified human body—the first fruits of the resurrection—because the most amazing thing about the Incarnation to me is that when the Godhead decided the Word would become flesh—it was a forever decision. Jesus never stopped being God, but He has also never stopped being human. He died as a human, was resurrected as a human, ascended as a human, sat down after the finished work as a human, and is coming back as the God-man. When YHWH put on skin, He kept it on. Amazing. May you have a blessed Advent season.

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Psalm 105:1-4

I used the picture at left to grab your attention. This is a picture of chicken feet and greens I had for lunch about 6 months ago in Africa. At the risk of being tuned out like Charlie Brown’s “wah-wah” voiced teacher, I will state the obvious. Being a thankful person, a person of gratitude is healthy—and not just yesterday (Thanksgiving) as if that is the one-shot inoculation that will carry one through 364 more days. At least the ancient Hebrews celebrated their Fall harvest festival (the basis for our Thanksgiving is the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths or Sukkot) for an entire week.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a wonderful example of God’s goodness celebrated with thanksgiving by His people. The rabbis interestingly proclaimed it as the most holy of the various feasts and holy days of Israel. Yes, it was designated as holier than Passover or even Yom Kippur. Notice I didn’t say more solemn—I said holier. This is what is interesting. The holiest of all the times designated by YHWH to be kept annually is a 7 day thanksgiving feast. It is a time  to remember that the Hebrews once wandered in the desert as sojourners living in tents—hence the tabernacles/booths designation. But during that whole time, YHWH provided for his people by keeping them clothed, fed, and protected until they could enter the Promised Land. But that is not the main point. It is about presence. Look at the last line (verse 4b) of the Psalm above “…seek his presence continually.”

The Hebrews being sojourners reminds me of something Paul wrote to the Corinthians. After listing types of people that will not inherit the kingdom of God in the preceding verses: sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, greedy, drunkards, swindlers, and so on—he says in 6:11: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” We may not have wandered in the literal desert for years, but some of us know what it was like to wander in a spiritual desert, which makes us all the more thankful and gives us all the more reason to say that a party celebrating that even in the desert, God preserved us … but now… we are washed, sanctified, and justified.

The Jewish master rabbi Hillel said about tabernacles “If I Am is here… all are here. If I Am is not here, then none are here.” God created us to be in relationship—with each other and with Him. Thus, it is only relationship—nothing else—that is cause for celebration. As “Black Friday” attempts to lure us into the idolatry of substituting things for relationships, remember what each of us already knows by experience: That new car after 2 weeks … that new house … that new TV … they don’t satisfy. What satisfies is the greatest expression of holiness—feasting with others as God himself is in the middle of the party and the very reason for the party. Do I love eating chicken feet soup? Not so much. But I loved that meal because I Am was there and so were hundreds of my African brothers and sisters made in I Am's image. It was about presence.

Yesterday, all one could hear on talk-radio and television was in regard to the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK—known to his friends as “Jack.” Many people talked about their remembrance of that infamous day and what they were doing at the moment they first heard the news from Dallas. It is one of my earliest memories in life as a boy a couple of months shy of my 4th birthday, I remember my mother falling on the floor in front of the television and weeping uncontrollably. It is etched in my memory because it scared me so badly. From there on, I cannot say whether the memories I have of watching the news reports and funeral are untainted by later repetition at the time of MLK’s and soon after, RFK’s assassinations or whether it was because it was the first time I remember watching the old black and white TV set with all my family members gathered together in silence for what seemed like days on end. I say all this as prologue to someone I would like to pay brief tribute to on this day.

Almost unnoticed on the very same day as “Jack” Kennedy’s assassination, another man who liked to be called “Jack” passed on from this life. His death got little attention that day because of JFK’s death, but C.S. “Jack” Lewis also died 50 years ago on November 22, 1963. And with all due respect to our former president, Jack Lewis’ life continues to affect millions of lives 50 years later as well. Whether they fully realize it or not, every child who has read any or all of the Chronicles of Narnia series, was presented the gospel of Jesus Christ by Jack Lewis. Who among us is not moved by the sacrificial and victorious atonement metaphor of Aslan? And who among us that wears the label “Christ-follower” does not appreciate the pithy and powerful statement from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe that Mr. Beaver makes in response to a question as to whether Aslan is safe: “Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Jack Lewis also lives on as a giant of an apologist for orthodox Christianity which the Roman, Protestant, and Greek Orthodox traditions all quote with great affinity. His work in the WWII radio lectures printed in “Mere Christianity” strikes the rare and amazing balance of an irenic work within Christendom and an uncompromising polemic against the irrationality of atheism and agnosticism. I do not believe improvement can be made upon this statement from Mere Christianity: “A live body is not only one which never gets old, but one that can to some extent repair itself. In the same way, a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble - because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat the kind of voluntary death Christ Himself carried out.”

So, while people rightly remember the famous words of Jack Kennedy “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country;” let us not forget Jack Lewis’ statement which like JFK’s statement presents the challenge of choosing rightly. In this case Lewis states what God, not the President of the United States challenges humans to do: “Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self—in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.” To paraphrase Jack Lewis: “Ask not what God can do for you, ask what you can do for God. But remember, what God gives you after you have given your all to Him is beyond your wildest dreams—a brand new life filled with wonderful possibilities.”

So here’s to the “other” Jack who passed from our midst 50 years ago. God bless his memory.

Although my schedule allows very little time to peruse Facebook in-depth, on occasion lately I’ve been able to scroll through comments and hit the occasional “like.” In the few short days of November so far, I’ve noticed a lot of thankful posts. This is a welcome trend. Much of what I’ve witnessed as the usual fare on FB and Twitter are spontaneous complaints to which an old high school teacher of mine would have responded: “would you like some cheese with that whine.”

Thankfulness is one of the most “spiritual” things a person can express. Ingratitude and entitlement pervades every part of our culture. Every day—and I’m not being hyperbolic—every day someone suggests to me that so-and-so should be sued for something. Frankly, it nauseates me. It would not be so bad if there were any corresponding statements of “that person should be congratulated.” No. In the world in which we live, we are quick to hand out criticism and slow on the compliments—quick to assert our rights and slow to give mercy.

That’s why the FB “thank you” cavalcade is refreshing. Inevitably, these things seem to go the way of cheesy bumper-sticker slogans and reposts of the more cheesy “honk if you…” statements about gratitude. I hope it does not go that way. But even if it does, it is refreshing for a moment to bask in the sunshine of gratitude instead of the perpetual gloom of ingratitude. My hope this season is that I will reject the grumbling that is so easy to fall into and meditate on what I have to be thankful for … a wonderful wife, healthy kids, and incredible friends. God is good. As the rabbinic sages say—blessed be He.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Rom. 8:18-19 ESV

In one 24 hour period this week my father-in-law passed away, my Dad was rushed to the hospital (where he still is), I found out that I have spinal stenosis in my neck that may require surgery, I cannot drive or work until I get a doctor's clearance due to numbness in my right hand because someone hit my son and I in an auto accident last week, a loved one was arrested and jailed, and several more things not worth listing.

Monday morning, in the midst of all this, I heard about Rick Warren returning to the pulpit 3 months after his son committed suicide, floods all over the Northeast and North Carolina leaving people without a home, and a youth pastor, his wife and another person killed in a bus about a mile from home in Indiana while returning from a youth camp. That morning, I was looking through my computer images to try to find a picture of my wife and my father-in-law when I stumbled on this picture of Estella and Zoey on Easter, with baskets in hand. While we groan for what will be revealed, I look at these precious grandchildren on the most hopeful day of the year--Resurrection Sunday--and realize that as I consider the present sufferings, they are not worth comparing to the glimpse of glory that I see revealed in these "daughters of God." It really puts everything perspective and makes me long with all creation for the rest of the revelation.