What Child Is This? Elkanah and Hannah’s Son, Samuel

Passage: 1 Samuel 1:1-20

Even in the best of years, and 2020 is not one of them, even in the best of years Christmas can be a mixed blessing for some people and some families. There are tensions that may have a lid on them most of the year, that boil over at family gatherings. The black sheep of the family comes home. A loved one is missing at the festivities. Loneliness is felt more sharply especially as one sees other families gathering and enjoying time together. COVID-19 limits family gatherings. Holidays are not always happy days even in the best of times and in the best of families. That was certainly the experience of Hannah. Every year the annual pilgrimage to Shiloh for the big religious celebration was spoiled for her. While everyone else was enjoying the festivities she was sobbing and had no desire to enter in, and no appetite for the big feast.