CLARITY
A Biblical Response to Current Events – 12-24-19
A Gift That is No Surprise
What’s Happening: “What is Kim Jong-un’s ‘surprise gift’? That is the question of the day…and it could arrive today…or at least soon. Some, examining carefully those sites where intermediate-range ICBMs have been traditionally worked upon, are looking for anomalies that might reveal an upcoming test launch…an escalation in the ongoing denuclearization debate. Others have suggested something more benign might be in the offing. In any case, fear makes for good press (https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/note-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-choose-your-christmas-gift-trump-wisely-107971). Quoting from the article by Daniel DePetris yesterday: ‘The period between the summit in Hanoi and the meeting at the DMZ in June was an unproductive stretch. It took nearly four months after Trump and Kim’s DMZ meet-and-greet before those discussions actually happened. And they finally did, the talks concluded in a huff after a single day.’”
Knee-Jerk Response: “A gift is a gift is a gift. I think there’s too much made over this one.”
Biblical Response: “And maybe you’re right…at least I hope so…the question is: can we take the chance? Prudence and history tell us to keep one eye open.”
“One gift that should not come as a surprise – it’s been prophesied since Gen. 3:15 – is the gift of the Savior (John 3:16). Kim may have a ‘gift’ that is good or ill, but there’s no surprise about a virgin conceiving (Is. 7:14) and giving birth to the Son of God in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). And that is Good News, that the Lamb of God has come…of course, He will someday come again as a Judge, and that may be bad news for some. Kim, are you listening?”
“Christians? The Gift of God’s Son is what Christmas is all about. And we are grateful for this ‘no-surprise’ gift.”
Here’s a Prayer You Can Pray: “Heavenly Father, help us to be cautiously optimistic; not naive, but believing the best about folks…with one eye open; in Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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Reader:
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Blessings,
Alan