DAY 27 of Advent – December 25, 2021
Advent Word: CHILD
Reflection by The Rev. Canon C. K. Robertson

In 1872, Christina Rossetti published a beautiful poem later put to music by composer Gustav Holst.  The title of that much beloved Christmas carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” speaks poignantly to the experience many of us have had these past two years.

Let’s face it: two years ago, most of us thought we would be out of the woods by the end of 2020, much less 2021.  Yet here we are, still in the woods, perhaps still in a time that feels bleak, a time when “frosty wind made moan.” For many, it has meant the loss of loved ones, for others the loss of income or security, and for some the loss of all they once knew, unmoored and displaced in an unfamiliar world.
How important, then, that we remember that in this bleak midwinter of life, we are not alone.  Right here, right now, in the midst of whatever struggles and sorrows surround us, the Beloved is close at hand.  “Heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain,” yet this Jesus whom we worship chooses to be truly and completely here with us.
Welcome, our Emmanuel–God with us–sharing our sorrows and drying our tears, giving us hope here in the bleak midwinter.
About The Rev. Canon C.K. Robertson
The Rev. Canon C. K. Robertson, Ph.D. serves as Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Ministry Beyond the Episcopal Church.