Also…

Healthcare is a mess.
The Middle East is in a constant state of unrest.
Fears of terror attacks are returning.

A glance at the latest headlines is argument enough that the world as we know it has gone over the brink and is headed in an uncertain direction. We are worried, afraid and angry. We are running out of money and patience. We are facing a time of deep and gripping confusion and our souls are unsettled.

It’s bad. It’s probably worse than we think it is. At this point in history, the world seems like a dark and terrifying place. We are without hope and without peace.

On the other side of history, light came into a dark world without hope, without peace and with little to give thanks for. A star brought news of God’s answer to our despair on the outskirts of Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. In the time it takes to deliver a baby, a new hope began to fill a waiting world.

Perhaps on this side of history– in the dire situation we find ourselves in— we will truly understand how much the Savior is still needed. His story is no longer confined to the ancient past. It is still relevant. It is still the hope to which a frightened and desperate world clings.