A Reason to Celebrate

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A Reason to Celebrate

2011 Nov/Dec

As 2011 comes to a climax; it will go on record as a year filled with celebrations, anniversaries, commemorations, and some solemn events. Solemnity can assuredly be associated with the spring tornadoes and massive thunderstorms in the southern United States that killed more than 300 people. Interestingly, the devastating events were mostly described as “acts of God” by insurance adjusters. Many lives were lost, but many more were spared under the banner of God’s abundant and amazing grace, and that’s a reason to celebrate.

The Christian community held one of the most notable celebrations of all times with its commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. Four centuries later this literary milestone still speaks with a voice of authority, bringing hope, comfort, and peace to the hearts of its readers. The psalmist said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

This was also the year that history buffs commemorated the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War with reenactments, lectures, and tours of famous battlefields. The memories and historical accounts of this war will continue to be meaningful to all of the beneficiaries of the resulting Emancipation Proclamation that was signed by President Abraham Lincoln to bring an end to slavery. The blessing of this freedom, according to the apostle Paul, is celebratory indeed! “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

This year further marked the tenth anniversary of one of the most horrific events in both U.S. and world history that was solemnly acknowledged on September 11, 2011. History records that on September 11,
2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial aircraft that resulted in crashes into both the North and South World Trade Center Towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia (near Washington,
D.C.), and an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost in the combined tragedies. Still there is a reason to celebrate, because the Bible gives hope and full assurance that a better day is soon to come: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful” (Rev. 21:4, 5). These true and faithful words are from the same Christ Child that was born in a manger, and who is being celebrated during this season. Soon and very soon He will return as King of kings and Lord of lords for all eternity. That is the ultimate reason to celebrate.

Washington Johnson, II D.Min - Editor of Message magazine
	Washington Johnson II presently serves as editor of Message magazine at the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland. Message is one of the oldest, and most respected religious journals addressing current, inspirational and Christian issues in the United States. It began in1898, then known as the Gospel Herald. Read More >>
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