聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 A flippant remark I often make upon recalling something is: like the skunk said when the wind turned, now it all comes back to me.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 What would you give to get back the feelings of childhood Christmas, of the innocence of youth? To remember the 鈥渕oments of gold鈥� and the 鈥渇lashes of light鈥�. We can 鈥渂arely recall鈥� those innocent pleasures of childhood.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Is this sounding vaguely familiar? Is it starting to come back? It鈥檚 鈥渉ard to resist鈥� like one of the greatest love songs by Celine Dion.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jim Steinman said he based the lyrics to 鈥淚t鈥檚 All Coming Back To Me鈥� on Wuthering Heights. He was attempting, he said, 鈥渢o write the most passionate love song鈥�.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Our lives sometimes reflect a break up with God and a separation from that heavenly innocence and love we shared with God in infancy. Kissed by God before conception, we forever long for that love again and are restless until we rest in God鈥檚 love. Human love can only try to come close to that.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Scientists tell us human life begins in a bright flash of light as a sperm meets an egg. Researchers have shown this event for the first time, after capturing the astonishing fireworks on film. An explosion of tiny sparks erupts from the egg at the exact moment of conception.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now that is so special we long to get back to it. In 1 Kings 18:20-39 Elijah tries to bring God鈥檚 people back to the true worship. They had gone astray. Elijah recalls the names and memories that should bring them back. Like Steinman鈥檚 song:聽
鈥淚f I kiss you like this
And if you whisper like that
It was lost long ago
But it's all coming back to me鈥�;
Elijah calls on those well loved names and prophets: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then he calls on their God Yahweh to bring down fire and burn the offerings which had been soaked in water and surrounded by a trench of water. And it works.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It all comes back to them, just like it should all come back to us. One song can do it. I picture my Father on the pump organ, figuring out the keys to 鈥淪ilent Night鈥�, his tenor voice leading us into Bethlehem and heavenly peace.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When we recall the love of Christmas and strum those childhood chords we should cry out like Elijah鈥檚 people: The Lord is God!
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And can we leave behind that material world which was 鈥渟o cold / That my body froze in bed鈥�, and the sun 鈥渨as so cruel / That all the tears turned to dust鈥�?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When Christ touches us and holds us, it all comes back to us. I know, I am pirating Steinman鈥檚 lyrics for my own purpose here, but Christ can 鈥渇orgive me all this鈥� if I can
鈥渇orgive you [God] all that
We forgive and forget
And it's all coming back to me鈥�.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Yes, we sometimes blame God for how we are made and for our weaknesses. But God will forgive us all that and embrace us again. Then this truly will become the greatest love story of all time.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Christ embraced our human flesh and felt, like us, warmth and love. It鈥檚 鈥渉ard to believe鈥�, but if we return to God鈥檚 embrace and God kisses us back, and He will, all our troubles will be 鈥済one with the wind鈥�.
