Advent - We Have Found The KingSample

In the fall of 2010 my oldest boy Ben stood with me as we spoke to our former pastor Van Vowell. Van had slipped into a coma the night before and the family had been told that it was not likely that he would awaken. Darkness had come unexpectedly and torn a father away from his two children and a friend away from our family.

It is no small thing that moments like this come. Such remind me of the thin veil of strength that I enjoy; deciding what I will do or where I will go. That said, I knew Van would have wanted us, in his darkness, to proclaim the hope that he had heralded and trusted in so many years of his life; so that is what we did.

Ben had memorized Psalm 24 and so there we took our stand next to Van. I held both the limp hand of my friend and the hand of my little boy and recited with Ben this triumphant Psalm. The nurses told us that Van might hear our words, "He founded," "He who has clean hands," "Lift up your heads oh ye gates," and "the King of Glory shall come in", so we both said them as if he could hear us.

Ben and I finished the Psalm hoping it had pierced the darkness and the fear that Van must have felt (if he indeed heard us). May the words of this Christmas season do the same for you. May you hear His words "Emmanuel, God with us, and may it pierce your darkness and quiet your fears. As we eat, and greet friends and family, may the talk of a lowly one born in a manger comfort us all once again.

Dr. Paul Primrose, Associate Professor, Chemistry