…the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
I had such high hopes for 2020. A new decade. Would it be like “the roaring 20s” of a century ago? My favorite news program in high school was ABC’s “20/20.” I remember Hugh Downs introducing the show with, “THIS… is 20/20!” But most of all, I kept thinking about the 20/20 vision analogy. Clear vision. I thought perhaps the cloudy mysteries of the future would come into focus in 2020.
As we all know, most of our hopes for 2020 were replaced with unimaginable fears by mid-March. The pandemic swept across the world. I felt a sense of guilt whenever I went to the grocery store. Was I endangering my family because I wanted a gallon of milk? Everything was a conflict. We received conflicting advice on how to deal with COVID-19. Some friends and family members got the virus and had the sniffles, while others died. Why? 2020 was full of confusion and fear. Surely, 2021 would be the year of hope.
Well, here we are at the end of 2021, and the pandemic is still around. Many still live in fear, afraid to leave their house, visit friends and family, or come to church. We all deal with fear in different ways, based upon our personal experiences. Thankfully, God understands every single one of our fears.
According to the website Bible Gateway, the word “fear” appears in the NIV Bible 336 times. In the King James Version, fear is mentioned 501 times. In the RSV Bible, it appears nearly 600 times. Even the word terrified is used to describe the shepherds when an angel appeared to them.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:10-11
In a few seconds, the shepherds’ fear turned into hope – all because of the advent of God the Son. Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” – Matthew 1:23
God is with us. Even through a pandemic, God is STILL with us. No matter what comes our way, God WILL ALWAYS be with us. The arrival of Jesus Christ on Christmas is what has the power to turn our fears into hope, again and again.
Do not lose sight of God in dark times. In the blurry midst of fear, the hope He offers will always give us that comforting 20/20 vision.
Ed Doney, Writer/Videographer
