Today is the final day of a calendar year. A calendar that is set by the rotation of the Earth and the earth's revolution around our Sun ... an Earth and Sun and Universe created by God Almighty. And history - the piece of which we are aware - was split in two by the arrival and life of God Incarnate who humbled himself to become one of us, to save us. The Creator saving the creation. The Perfect saving the imperfect.
Two thousand and seventeen years ago (give or take a few years), Jesus the prophesied Messiah came to Earth. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us - His creation. Among US, a guilty sinful race of people. Amazing.
I hear the terms Common Era (CE) and Before Common Era (BCE) as of late, instead of Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD - year of our Lord), and it saddens me. For thousands of years, God was just common sense. Jesus Christ was a given - an obvious reality. But our arrogance over the past 100-150 years ... based on incomplete and limited information, delusion of grandeur, and a desire that it not be true ... has lead us as a people to deny what is self evident: that we were created by an infinite God who resides outside of time and space, who taught us what agape love is all about, as well as humility, selflessness and all other good things. That God then became one of us so we could know that He knows what it is to be human, to live the perfect life He wants for us, and to pay a debt we could never pay. This ... this is why we can say "Happy New Year!" and "Happy 2017!" We are directly or indirectly saying (whether we mean it or not) "Happy 2,017th year since the virgin birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ!"
So, as we leave the Year of our Lord 2016, I reflect on how blessed I am to even be alive and breathing in this time in history. I choose to focus on that incredible blessing, and the unbelievable fact that, without Jesus' sacrifice for us all, I would be doomed to an eternity without Him - away from my Creator, in darkness and cold and regret. Instead, I am reconciled with my Creator ... forever.
Thank you, Lord, for this unimaginable gift. Thank you for your infinite grace, offered while I was - and still am - a sinner. You are good, when there's nothing good in me. You are my goodness, Jesus. I love you and I trust you in 2017 and beyond.
It's in Your Name that I pray.
Amen.
