The last two years have taught us one thing: Expect the unexpected! Plans for your trip to Europe or the wedding or event in your family life... shot in a heartbeat. Actually COVID-19 was itself the unexpected for many of us, and then with it, commensurate problems.
But that was in March, 2020. After a few months of difficulty, with advice ranging from don't bother to stay 2 metres away from others, wash your hands, sterilise everything, wear a mask, attend/ don't attend any cafe or movie theatre, and barber shop was definitely off limits. Almost nothing was allowed and that was completely unexpected.
In Australia for months on end, until May 2021 we had escaped much of the trouble. We began to meet again in public; we didn't have to wear a mask. Most people didn't even begin to consider the use of vaccines, and they were not even available until the middle of March or so (2021). Then we queued to get the vaccine and all of a sudden in May, the virus from India came. Delta was its name and the variant was stronger and knocked us for a loop. It knocked us in New South Wales out of the action for 3 months!
But then the unexpected came. Were we ready? Had we been expecting another round of this virus?
Events were again scheduled and even up to last week, Christmas programs in the Canopy in Lane Cove and carols in car parks and such had to be canceled. Why? Omicron, the next strain of the virus, has landed and now over 2,000 cases a day are showing as positive from the queues of testing centres around our city and our country. Seems as though nowhere is without vulnerability.
For those who are aware of the uncertainties that Covid has brought, this is not surprising; we are expecting the unexpected. A good planner includes contingencies for such (in)actions. I certainly hope Carols at the Myer go ahead on Friday night. I love watching and listening and being taken up into the highest places when Silvie Paladino sings. Lots of others, for sure, but Silvie rings my bell.
So I'm guessing that we have to expect that things won't always turn out the way we anticipated. Underdogs might win Grand Finals; (I hope England walks away from the Ashes with appropriate sadness; they are down 2 already). I hope Oscar Wilde's declaration of being thoroughly modern in our intellect works for us in these days.
This is the season of Christmas, which is good news for retailers, and for many who are able to meet up with family and friends. But for many, the unexpected has hit again. Prevention of contacts; slowdown of travel, and once again the unexpected is the new norm.
If you remember the real story of Christmas, before David Jones and Myer battled for the market share, the story takes place in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem. A young Jewess is expectant. This pregnant Jewish woman, barely into her teens, has a baby. I guess that's expected.
Only, the story goes, she never had sex with a man, and was 'found to be with child by the Holy Spirit." That's fairly far-fetched, and unexpected. But then miracles in the Bible are regularly featured, although not happening very often. So, the term 'regular' has to do with their mention in Holy Writ, not due to their frequency in human history. But a virgin having a baby? That's unexpected!
This young Jewish baby, Yeshua of Nazareth, would grow up to be a man of sorrows and a healer, a teacher, a prophet, and finally the sacrifice for the sins of all of humanity. That's a massive story, and to the Jewish people of his day, (and dare I say, to this day), that the Messiah would be Divine and would accomplish this sacrifice for their sins--- that's completely unexpected.
But what we have learned in the last 2 years is to expect the unexpected.
How about you? Could Yeshua (some call him Jesus) be your Messiah and Saviour? What did you expect?
No comments:
Post a Comment