Beloved Community,
Grace and peace to you all as we usher in the new year, as we are met with the crispness of January—a time of fresh beginnings, renewed hopes, and the promise of Emmanuel, God’s abiding presence with us. The days may still be short, and the cold chill of winter may linger as broken icicles gleam from trees, and yet this time of year embodies a deep reminder of hope: the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Light that continues to shine on us today – especially in our times of darkness – when we aren’t feeling particularly joyful, when our reality is painful, and when the world feels broken.
Because living a life of faith doesn’t make everything easy, living a life of faith can be hard. And sometimes living a life of faith can feel more like a “cold and broken hallelujah.” Famous words echoed from Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah.” A beautiful song that touches on the raw reality of faith and how even in our brokenness, pain, and hurt – somehow, we can still sing hallelujah.
Now it may not always come easy, in fact, it may come out cold and broken. And yet even in our cold and broken state, we are loved. Loved by a God who brings us courage and hope. So we can continue in hope and love, even when it is hard, painful, or messy. Because
Love is not a victory march, it’s a cold and broken hallelujah.”
And thankfully we do not endure this journey alone; we are in this together, we are a community of faith. Which means we hold one another’s hallelujah’s when they are too hard for others to say, when they can only see the glimmer of a hallelujah on the horizon.
Whatever this new year has in store, whatever cold or brokenness you may encounter, whatever joys or challenges this year may bring, remember you are not alone. You have a community of faith, and you have the light of Christ, the light no darkness can overcome.
