At
church, our St. Francis garden is being dug up by 4 guys and a backhoe because
our sanctuary roof leaks. Really. Whenever it rains, a clogged drainage pipe
backs up so much that it causes water to come through the roof of our
sanctuary. The only way to fix the roof is to dig up the garden. Unfortunately,
the hardy guys with the backhoe have been out there for eight hours and still
haven’t found the offending pipe. Even St. Francis is getting a little worried
that the backhoe is getting closer to him.
It’s surprising how often the cause of a problem is so far
from the problem itself. I’ll never forget the time I went to the dentist
with a toothache, only to have him tell me that my teeth were fine. I was feeling
referred pain from a sinus infection. I
know of someone else who went to the hospital with a paralyzed foot and
discovered a brain tumor. So often the root cause of our problem has little to do
with the location of the pain itself.
I see a lot of impatient people during this time of year. I try to remember that the person who is angry with the fast food worker probably is carrying burdens that have nothing to do with how long it's taking to get his burger. The same likely holds true in line at the Post Office or driving along a crowded street. The root cause of that anger goes much deeper than long lines or a traffic jam.
When
Christ came, we weren’t aware that we needed that type of Savior. We thought our pain could be healed by a political or military hero. Instead, the solution to our hurt came in the form of a baby who preached peace and justice. It seemed to make as much sense as digging a hole in the ground to fix a leaky roof. And yet, our Savior came to us in our pain, and, even from his cradle, he brought us hope. All these years later, we still find the healing for the root of our pain in the Christ child.
