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Thought for the Week 25 December –
Christmas Day
A great and mighty wonder. We’ve
spent the season of Advent pondering and preparing for Christmas. For some people that means putting up even more
lights and baubles than last year, better-my-neighbour at all costs. At night time some of the country roads
look more like Blackpool pleasure beach.
One wonders how the same roads can appear virtually uninhabited during
the daytime! For them the lights
represent a great and mighty wonder. Other
people shop until they drop, determined that their children shall have not a stocking
full of Christmas presents, but a sackful of Christmas presents.
Bigger is better, and most is best.
How many of us have, at some time or other, been guilty of spending
money we don’t have, on goods we don’t need, to satisfy some deep down urge
to make Christmas lighter, brighter, and by definition - happier? The
prophet Isaiah wasn’t referring to Christmas lights or presents, neither was
the psalmist. They were making clear
that God is the good news, the great and mighty wonder. The
writer of the letter to the Hebrews puts the record straight. God has made himself known to us through
the birth of his Son, who was even more than a chip off the block – he was,
and is. the exact imprint of his Father. The
birth of a baby is a great and mighty wonder, bringing joy to all the family. In
the womb the baby listens. We’re told
that’s where babies learn how loud they will have to cry once they leave the
darkness of the womb, in order to receive the attention they need. While
the baby grows within its mother’s womb we only know of the
child. We don’t have a direct
relationship with the child until they leave the womb. For the rest of us the
child’s life truly begins when he or she leaves the darkness of the womb and
enters the light of the world. In
John’s gospel there is no account of the birth of Jesus, no mention of
angels, no trip to Bethlehem, no shepherds, no wise men. John explains the birth of Jesus by taking
us back to the beginning. “In
the beginning when
God created the heavens and the earth, the
earth was a formless void and
darkness covered the face of the deep, while
a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then
God said, ‘Let
there be light’; and
there was light. And
God saw that the light was good; and
God separated the light from the darkness. God
called the light Day, and
the darkness he called Night. And
there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1.1-5 John
reminds us of a great and mighty wonder – light. Light casts out the darkness. “The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness did not overcome it.” Jesus,
the light of the world, was born in a dark, cold and dirty stable. Why? To remind us that God has power to
send light into the darkest places.
John reminds us that we have freedom of choice. Mary and Joseph chose to listen to God
speaking through an angel. The shepherds
chose to listen to an angel of the Lord.
The wise men chose to follow a star.
Many Jews chose not to believe in Jesus - but many did. This
light is not only a physical light, it’s a spiritual light, and a light of
understanding. When the wise men followed a star they were seeking
enlightenment. They were searching for
a truer, deeper meaning to their lives.
When we find the solution to a problem we sometimes echo Archimedes
and exclaim “Eureka – now I see the light !!” Many
people are seeking the light and enlightenment. They don’t all accept the reality of
God. That’s sad, but God gives us
freedom of choice. We can believe in Him
and walk in the light - or we can reject Him and live in darkness. The
light isn’t wealth, or perfect health,
or the comforts of life. The light is
assurance that God is with us in all the joys and particularly in the
darkest, most challenging periods of our life – if we choose to let God’s
light into our lives. I
wish you all a very Happy Christmas – may the great and mighty wonder of
Christ’s birth bring light, enlightenment and peace into your lives. Amen. Revd
June Hutchinson: Assistant Curate, Anglican Chaplaincy of Midi-Pyrénées &
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