Yesterday an email from the school arrived. Typical pre-Christmas break: early release… office closed… then, “We also want to make you aware of a social media post … alluding to the possibility of violence at schools taking place on Friday, Dec. 17.”

A TikTok post declared today “National Shoot Up Your School Day“. In our love for creating holidays, National Donut Day and Pastor Appreciation Month (somehow we preached our way into a whole month?!), someone gave the trend an evil twist. It is all too real – we live in the age of mass school shootings.

Many parents pulled their kids out of school. We decided to send our kids. Meg dropped our older girls off and went to work at the middle school. Darcy is home nearly recovered from FluA. So I dropped little E off by himself. Kindergarteners always look tiny, their backpacks too big. Watching him walk in, I joined parents across the nation praying for our kids.

The world is not right. Today we need Christmas. No, not presents. We need Jesus. He entered into this world of violence. A place where even children are not safe, with Herod raising the sword. Jesus faced the danger, to bring us hope. He wanted to show us another way. Not the way of hate. But the way of love. Of sacrifice.

I hope we all live Christmas today, tomorrow, everyday. So the world may see another way and reject Herod’s violence. So all may know their worth – God’s arrival and sacrifice is for all. Each of us are made in God’s image. Each of us are loved.

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Join us at Chandler this Sunday. We continue to unwrap the names of Jesus from Isaiah 9:6. This week, “Mighty God”, we discuss how Jesus uses his power to Love! I hope you join us at 10:30 in person or streaming on YouTube or Facebook!