Friends, I can’t speak for you, but I would confidently presume to say for most of us, our lives are full of competing concerns, needs, wants, and desires. As we “try to find ourselves,” the world outside constantly bombards us with “click bait”—that is a constant barrage of social media opinions, sales pitches, and attacks on anything the government does. Everyone wants to tell their story, have you move to their side of things, or buy what they are selling. It seems that no matter how hard we might try to deal with our social media and television addictions, and commit to finding quality in each moment of life for ourselves and the people who count, it’s just so hard.
For those of us who love (or even despise) the Church, it’s not hard to find the same patterns emerging. There is no shortage of opinions and no trouble to be immersed in the turmoil of the troubled witness the lack of Christian unity brings.
Writing Christmas and Easter messages is hard for me.
On one hand, I absolutely love the central message of both: a God who loves, a God who dwells with us, and a God who goes beyond words to prove that love. A Saviour who brings hope of resurrection and new hope every day.
On the other hand, my ministry, indeed my relationship with Jesus, if it is to be authentic, brings me face to face, heart to heart with wounded people, at home wounded countries, starving children, oppressed women. Face to face, heart to heart with those who dwell in darkness.
Our God, our Jesus teaches us this: Words are not enough. He came from “There to Here” to be with us, trusting that his birth in time and his eventual self-giving of Life would teach us that very thing. Words are not enough.
This Christmastide, I share with you my own desire to have an authentic relationship with my Saviour, and invite you to likewise invest time in self-examination, drawing back from the noise to let God find you and calm you down…, perhaps even to allow an image of you yourself in Bethlehem, reaching into the manger, lifting up that Holy Baby, and when he smiles at you, Give him your heart.
