“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
As another year draws to a close, we pause to reflect on the magnum mysterium - great mystery - of the Incarnation of the Son of God, who came to save us from our sins and all the consequences of them.
We await the full revelation of our redemption, but even now we can rejoice that he is Immanuel, God with us. In the darkness of this world and of our own lives, he is our Life, our Light, the only source of true Love.
We also look back to the many manifestations of his goodness toward us in our life and ministry.
Life together
God has bestowed on us so many good gifts this year that we can only name a few:
With Sarah coming to our town for regular doctor’s appointments, we were able to see her and Blaise much more often than last year.
Dori had a wonderful visit with her sister Jean and her family in California.
Dori and I enjoyed two short get-aways for a few days of vacation.
We were greatly refreshed by the Gettys’ “Sing! Global 2021“ conference, which we attended online.
With pandemic restrictions lifted, Dori returned to church and choir practice,until recently.
Dori joined Sarah and her family for a marvelous evening at Andrew Peterson’s “Behold the Lamb” concert last week.
I have experienced gradually improving health.
Ministry
God has opened doors for me to give lectures to Chinese theologians and scholars in China and the US. Out of four presentations, two were in Mandarin – a breakthrough for me.
We enjoyed several Zoom reunions of Chinese Christian Fellowship (CCF).
We hosted a wedding in our home for a former member of CCF and his Taiwanese bride.
My book on Carl Henry was published in Chinese.
“Thanks” to CoVid, I was able to attend many more academic conferences than ever before. I learned a lot from each of them.
The “Studies in Chinese Christianity” series, of which I am co-editor, published its twentieth volume.
God has given us very rich conversations with people of all ages, from young believers to senior ministry leaders.
Looking ahead
To say that we live in uncertain and unsettling times would be trite. Chaos, confusion, crisis – make that “crises” – and conflicts, both personal and national, may well confront, and even confound us in 2022.
Regardless of what happens, however, we know that in Christ, our God came to dwell among us; he has gained a magnificent victory; reigns and rules now from heaven; is interceding for us; is with us; and will surely return in glory to usher in an age of eternal peace, love, and joy.