Everybody is angry. When you read or hear the headlines or scroll through social media, the grievance machine is churning up anger at a head-spinning rate. Social justice warriors find racism, sexism, and every other kind of offensive -ism behind every comment. The #metoo movement (though seemingly losing some steam now) stands ready to interpret every male gesture as some form of rape. The Democrats are angry with the Republicans. The Republicans are angry with the Democrats. The Libertarians are angry with everybody. News talk shows feed and feed off of this anger for ratings.
Not all of the anger is illegitimate. There are serious moral injustices in our society. There are reasons to be angry with the murder of the unborn, the violence that fills certain segments of our society, the continual and doubling down on sinful stupidity in the governance of our country, unjust wars, and oppressive tax laws. The world is, in many ways, upside down and inside out. Not to be angry at immorality is, itself, immoral.
Our anger is, at times, rooted in fear. Fear is what overwhelms us when we sense that we have lost control, when we come into the presence of something that overwhelms us. It is the hurricane that threatens our family, the unknown intruder that invades our home, or the earthquake from which we cannot escape. We feel a sense of powerlessness, that the world is coming apart, and nothing on the immediate horizon says that we can change our future.
In the face of all of the worlds perceived and real injustices, we fear, and that fear begins to lash out trying to regain some control over the situation so that we can feel at peace. We only want things to be right, and they aren’t right.
But in the midst of this world where we can be caught up in this tidal wave of anger, fear, and despair, we hear the angel’s word to the shepherds in Luke 2.10 that, in the midst of a world that is racked with sin and its effects, they bring the good news, the gospel, of great joy. When they bring this word Herod, the Edomite, sits as king of the Jews. The scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and priests as a whole are leading God’s people astray. Caesar Augustus has brought “peace” through bloody subjugation and maintains it through fear. What is there to be joyful about?
The gospel is the gospel of great joy, not because everything is immediately made alright, but because it will be. Joy is not a superficial happiness that denies the harsh realities of life so that I can keep a smile on my face. Joy is rooted in faith and is that deep sense of satisfaction and contentment … even happiness … that is nurtured by the hope that we have that God is and will make all things right. This means that I don’t have to be angry all the time. I don’t have to live in fear of losing control because I and all that I am and have are in the hands of the one who is complete control and is for me. He has declared unequivocally in Christ that he loves me and, even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death, he is with me. He is making all things right.
We Christians, we gospel of great joy people, should be the most joyful people on earth. Even while the world all around us seems out of control, upside down, and inside out. The good news of God’s promises in Christ are the source of our joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength.
