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As an artist and religion scholar, I hope to offer something honest and personal, as I navigate the same world and serve the same God as you. I pray these reflections bring you value when you read them, as they do me when I write them.
-Rondall Reynoso
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The Complicated Joy of Being a Parent (Luke 1:14)
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“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
Luke 1:14 NRSVue
Reflection
If you aren’t careful and read this verse without the surrounding context, it is easy to mistake this verse as referring to Jesus. However, this is actually about John the Baptist. Specifically, this is a verse where the angel Gabriel is speaking to Zechariah.
Gabriel is announcing the miraculous conception of John the Baptist in Zechariah’s and his wife Elizabeth’s old age. He is declaring that not only will this be a great event for the parents, but it will be a great event for many people.
Many parents can relate to the hope presented in the announcement of this miracle because we all have a similar hope for our children: hope for them to be happy; hope for them to bring joy; and hope for them to make a positive mark on the world.
The reality of being a parent is very different. Parenting can be a grueling task with much joy, but also moments of despair. There is nothing that can melt a parent like the warm connection with their children, whether they are toddlers or adults. Still, the moments of pain can be excruciating.
We live in a culture, especially a Christian culture, that promises us that if we do things ‘right’ with our children, everything will go well. That isn’t always the case. I know a faithful pastor who had a child walk away from the faith. I remember him telling me over lunch that he didn’t understand why this had happened, because he had done everything ‘right’ in raising the child.
First, none of us do everything right. Over the years, I have thought a lot about how the history of Israel is marked by good kings descended from bad kings and bad kings descended from good.
Even when our children are good people, there can still be a great deal of pain.
Even with all that, I would never give up being a father. Despite the pain, there is joy. I don’t know if “many” people will ever rejoice over the births of my children, but some will. I will. And their mother will.
