Has Christmas left you wanting, well, something? Wait for the sequel!

In the early hours of Dec. 24, I took a walk with the dog, stopping twice before returning home. Once, it was to commiserate with a neighbor whose Christmas had mostly been COVIDed away.

The second time, it was to stand and listen to another neighbor — one which I have never met — scream at someone inside a large house with a fleet of pink and black bikes parked neatly under an overhang. Was it a COVID meltdown? A reason to call the police?

I wasn’t sure, so I kept listening. He simmered down soon enough and I walked on, freshly aware that Christmas or not, Jesus or not, there isn’t even peace in my neighborhood, let alone on the earth.

Yes, of course, there is the personal peace of Jesus. Free to anyone. Making us right from the inside out. Giving us the hope we need to plod on day by day. That Christmas, that God-With-Us Jesus has been with us for 2,000 plus years and it has been good.

So, why is mankind still screaming? You. dear reader, know the answer without me even writing anything more. You know it even if you don’t know Jesus.

There is no peace on earth because the story isn’t over yet. There is, indeed, a sequel to Christmas that requires something more than a baby, and even more than a sacrifice that can wash away our every failing. The sequel — or, more specifically, the ending of one finite story and the beginning of a forever one — demands a king.

We’re all know this and we are looking for Him already. Among politicians. Among religious leaders. Among entertainers. Even among sports heroes. He is not in any of those places. But, He is on the move and, some day, He will be here. Righting every wrong. Healing. Restoring. Satisfying that want that still grips all of creation.

Are you ready? You can be. Are you watching? You should be. Christmas 2 promises to be even more wonderful than the original.