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A Paradox Where Joy and Fear Meet

 Advent reminds us of many paradoxes.  Christ Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  Jesus is the "word" that is eternal - "with the Father in the beginning" and "the word that became flesh".  Jesus is born of a woman, "the virgin", conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was born to a peasant couple who had to travel from their home, Nazareth, to a village 75 miles away, Bethlehem, because of a government census.  Jesus is born in a stable and placed in a manger because there is no room elsewhere.  The first people who hear about the birth of Jesus are peasant night workers, by angels sent from Heaven.  The message of the Angels further magnifies the paradox of Christ's birth

Luke 2:8-11
 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  

Here Joy and Fear meet together... "fear not...great joy".  The two stand together in the same sentence.  Can we imagine saying "I'm afraid...and full of Joy"?  I can't imagine.  It happens wherever God is.  Lest we forget, God is Joyful - 

1 Chronicles 16:23-27
Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day.  
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.

Lest we forget, God is Holy, and that strikes fear as we noticed in a previous reading -  

Revelation 1:10, 12-15, 17
 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet... 

 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters ...When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 

Paradox is defined as a statement that seems to contradict itself but nonetheless is true.  It is a person or situation that exhibits inexplicable or contradictory ideas.  

The story of Christ's birth is a Paradox of Joy and Fear meeting together.  

Advent reminds me to face my fears with the certainty of faith in God.  Not "my faith", but "God's faithfulness and gift of faith to me.  We often resort to fear because we know we cannot control the circumstances.  In a world of disease, poverty, economic hardship, government corruption, war, and deaths, we need to hear the words..."Do not fear...their is good news of great Joy... a Savior is born!"

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