Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. With so much sorrow and injustice in the world, why start there? It turns out far more was at stake than a catering crisis. In this moment, Jesus offers a glimpse of what he has come to bring into the world.
Modern readers sometimes assume Jesus’ original followers readily welcomed the news of his resurrection because they were gullible. The New Testament Easter narratives tell a different story–one that strikes a fair-minded reader as both historically reliable and psychologically authentic, inviting us to consider both its plausibility and significance today, rather than dismissing it as an idle tale.
At the end of Acts, the gospel’s message reaches the imagined ends of the earth, the city of Rome. Here Paul prepares to plant the future of the church, a community built on the extreme hope of Christ’s message for all people in all times.
When the winds shift and the inevitable storms of life come our way, how can we navigate them in ways that bring beauty and hope instead of darkness and despair?
Suffering often creates crisis, but crisis can be an invitation to clarify the sources of our hope. Isn’t life about more than survival? How do we find a life rich with purpose, even and especially in the face of suffering?
The Advent season reminds us of the coming of a brilliant light that meets us in our darkness. This source of hope, Jesus, offers us presence and wisdom in a way that brings powerful healing and restoration.