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REFLECTIONS
Treasures of darkness

Walfried Goossen

Christ was not born in a manger and did not die on the cross to give us a comfortable life, but rather a comforting faith.

No one knew this better than a group of 614 Russian Mennonites who left Russia in 1943 with wagons and horses. Holland and freedom were their destination. Peter and Elfrieda Dyck tell their story in Up From the Rubble. During their journey, old people died, and children were born; in Germany some of the men were drafted into the German army, and families were torn apart. Only 22 arrived in Holland, on foot. In Russia they had suffered the brutality of Stalinism. Their churches had been closed; none of them owned a Bible.

Yet in this oppression which was meant to rob them of their faith and destroy the church in Russia, they held to their trust in God, who would never forsake them. When the Dycks first visited them, one woman broke into song, and soon was joined by the others:

Is there joy and gladness in this vale of strife?
Naught but tears and sadness in this earthly life?

That was the timeless question; then came the timeless answer:

O what consolation! There’s a God who cares!
Jesus brought salvation from the world’s despairs.

These people had experienced change day after day, year after year, and had grown in fellowship, love and faith. For them, the Christ child would never lie in a manger wrapped in decorative paper, ribbons and bows surrounded by department store blessings while Joseph and Mary tried to estimate how much credit they had left on their charge card.

Their Christ child lay wrapped in swaddling clothes, the shadow of a crown of thorns hovering over His head.

Their joy was not the mindless joy of our society, which removes the name of Christ from public celebrations of His birth and returns the holy day to paganism. No, their profound joy in Christmas was a dearly bought victory, light overcoming darkness.

Reflections is a column of brief reflections on Scripture passages. This one is by Walfried Goossen of Dundas, Ont. Freelance submissions (200-250 words in length) are welcome.

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Last modified December 9, 1999.

© 2000 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
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