The Remedy for Chaos (Observation of the Week)

1. Another Christmas; Another Night of Hope

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.”

I heard these words again at another Midnight Mass, another midnight marking the beginning of another church year (or the end of another secular year, whichever you celebrate.) This year, these words vibrated in my bones, nearly shook the earth under me. I wanted those vowels and consonants to manifest, to take on flesh and bone, to come riding into the church building on a white horse and take his place in front of the altar. I imagined the words in all their glory, radiating shards of light through the tiny clouds of incense.

The older I grow, the more I realize just how unrelenting the chaos of the world is, how it begs for an incarnate Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace to put it out of its misery. This is a grief observed, but grief observed lays the foundation for hope. Whether you’re a person of faith or not, this is an unassailable truth.

2. A Short Story

Sometimes, the best short stories don’t have many words.