This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
Christmas is a time for reflection and humility. It's a reminder that our strength and success can often blind us to our need for a Savior. As Craig Barnes, a Christian leader, once said, “Our weakness finally opens our eyes to the need for a Savior. Nothing prevents that more than our strength.”
For many of us, it's only when we're weakened by life's challenges that we're able to love and connect with others on a deeper level. Peggy Wehmeyer, a former ABC religion correspondent, shared her personal experience of losing her husband to suicide. She said, “The aftermath of his death was ‘the most powerless I’ve ever felt. Trusting in God’s goodness and yielding without being able to nail him down. That’s where peace begins: Surrender, in powerlessness.’”
While some experiences can make us stronger and more compassionate, others can leave us scarred and struggling to move forward. James Forsyth, senior pastor of McLean Presbyterian Church in Virginia, has spoken publicly about being sexually abused as a teenager. He said, “You can have scars and still be healed. There are some things in life you never move on from, but you do learn to carry them differently.”
For Christians, weakness and suffering are not ends in themselves, but rather opportunities to seek out God and experience divine power. This power is different from the world's understanding of power, which often involves dominating and controlling others. Kerry Dearborn, a professor emerita at Seattle Pacific University, described the difference between power over others and the power of connecting with others, which requires openness and vulnerability.
As Jesus taught, weakness can lead to a new definition of strength – one that is compassionate, sacrificial, humble, and empathetic. God's power, perfected through our weakness, makes us instruments of mercy, seekers of justice, and agents of reconciliation. It helps us see the world in a different way.
Renée Notkin, a pastor at Union Church in Seattle, said, “I am daily inspired by how Jesus continually turns the world upside down in regards to power, might, world success, and achievement. Jesus’ subversive challenges to the human-crafted structures that oppress and bind is what keeps me following Jesus and holding on to hope that there is a third way – the Jesus way that brings healing to individuals, communities, and nations.”
