Lots of adults say that Christmas is for children, but I feel that’s a sad view to take! Children get lost in the wonder of the celebration, but often find the mix of the nativity and Father Christmas rather confusing. Our western culture has hyped up Father Christmas and all the added paraphernalia that has been added over the last 100 years or so and relegated the true meaning into a nice story to be acted out at school for adoring parents to attend.
We can easily become too familiar with the Christmas story if we’re not careful. In doing so, we can diminish the wonder of the event. We should read it with real ‘awe’ (a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder and not to be confused with ‘aw’ which is used to express pleasure, delight, or affection, especially in response to something regarded as sweet or endearing.) We often read the story without really thinking about it. In a carol service we often begin with the story of Elizabeth & Zechariah and by the end of the service, Jesus has been born and received all His visitors. A whole 12-15 months in under an hour!
We were discussing the story last night and we’re blown away by the “planning” by God that went into it. How He had to put so many people and things in place e.g. a group of gentile wise men who travelled hundreds of miles bearing to visit a special king by following a star, Caesar declaring a census across the whole empire (without this Jesus would have been born at home in Nazareth). How God spoke to people where they were and how He brought others up to date with His plans through dreams.
As we celebrate this Christmas, despite it not being the one we had planned for, we’re all encouraged to spend some time meditating on the story and what it can teach us. We can wonder at everything and everyone that God is putting in place for Time2 and pray that we might see us have the house in 2022.
Click here to read our blog on Elizabeth & Zechariah.
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