It’s a month away and the cycle of consumerism, debt, acquisition and joy will soon hit--even with gloom of recession hanging over us--big time. The shops are getting busier as lists are being made for presents for dear ones. Depending on what area of the world you’re in it’s either going to be summer or winter; hot or cold climates bring the opportunity either to swim or ski. Christmas is a time for family and leisure. It’s a time, in the midst of all the craziness of the ‘silly season,’ for us to take some time out and reflect on what’s truly important.
And what is truly important? Life is about people, important people. It’s about time with people and finding it within ourselves to be our best with them and for them. These are eternal moments that are written in the annals of history; we can’t undo anything we’ve done. But, there is one way to make our history, history. It’s Jesus.
Jesus--his ministry, life, legacy and salvation--is the reason for the season. His coming, his life, his ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension were prophesied numerously in the Old Testament and it was little ole Bethlehem in Judah that would host the birth of the Saviour. The eighth Century B.C.E. prophet Micah stressed the appropriateness of the humble origin of the “true shepherd of the people.”[1] The King of kings and the Lord or lords ironically had a humble birth, life and death. Nothing about his life, with the possible exception perhaps of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (see Luke 19:28-44), was royal in the traditional sense of the word. Yet he and he alone, is above all.
The Christmas story is the commencement of a lifetime of miracles surrounding Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. It’s a fantastic story that bonds people together in love. It’s a story rich in history and spirituality--and some might say, mythology. God came to us and dwelt with us. And it all began so humbly and meekly. This is the answer of life for all who have ears to hear and eyes to see. Real strength and divinity is known paradoxically in peaceable, humble means.
The real message of Christmas hence, is peace, love and joy. It’s about having the heart and committing the resources and time to help the poor, hungry, and thirsty; it’s about visiting those in confinement and in prison; it’s about caring for widows and those who’re less fortunate--it’s about being the upside-down picture of God to others that Jesus showed us throughout his life and teaching, and most of all, his death.
Christmas is a time for giving, not getting. For that matter, our year should start from this point, choosing to give each day--in the spirit of Jesus’ love.
Copyright © 2008, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
[1] William S. Lasor, David A. Hubbard, and Frederic W. Bush, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament (2nd Ed) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eeardmans, 1996), p. 275. See Micah 5:2-3 and Matthew 2:6.
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