Lord, Come Down

If you're anything like me—and I believe you are—you get awfully tired of reading about the problems, suffering, war and death in our world. Today's news is but another part of the same litany: four policemen shot dead and we still don't know who did it; scientists lied and manipulated data about climate change; Iran still threatens to build nuclear weapons. 


And so it goes, on and on, like it always has. Think about the past century. How many non-combatants were killed? Piero Scaruffi estimates 160 million died in wars and genocide during the past 100 years! Mao Ze-Dong led in the slaughter of as many as 78 million in China and Tibet. Josef Stalin purged and starved 23 million in Russia and the Ukraine. Hitler's Nazis killed an estimated 12 million. 5 million Japanese civilians died during the reign of Hideki Tojo. I cannot go further. The numbers overwhelm me and I've not spoken of the tens of millions whose lives were shattered, but did not die. 


So I am tempted to pray the prayer of Isaiah 64:1-3 and ask the Lord God to come down in majesty and power. Lord, make the mountains tremble and quake at your presence. Be like fire that burns the underbrush of forests and makes water to boil. Let everyone on earth know that you are here and they had better shape up. Do what you once did when ancient Israel gathered before Mount Sinai and trembled at your power and majesty (Exodus 19:16-20). Then people will repent and turn away from their rebellion and sin. Then they will fall down before you and worship you. 


But not so, says the Lord. Fear, terror, suffering, death and damnation do not produce repentance and faith. Such things lead only to further hatred, idolatry, despair, revenge and rebellion. Did not ancient Israel see my majesty and glory only to turn away from me again and again in unbelief? Did all of Nazi Germany and Tojo's Japan turn away from their false gods after the defeat of World War II?

How then should the Lord come? We know the answer. We celebrate it throughout this season. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).


His glory is that he came to bear our pain, our suffering and our death. Because of his coming we have hope for the future, both in this life and in that to come.