Christmas Innocence

 

There is something wonderful about Christmas, in spite of all the shopping and preparations, something we can’t quite put our finger on, which makes us look forward to it each year.  This very fact also makes it a difficult time for many who experience loss or loneliness or who are struggling at this time of year.

 

There’s a magic to familiar things, especially when seen through the eyes of children:  lights shining from winter windows; hark the herald angels sing in supermarket foyers; icy fingers, mulled wine, and mince pies; chocolate advent calendars counting down to Christmas morning, “can I have my chocolate for breakfast, mum? Can I, Can I?”; the ripping of wrapping paper and eyes lit up with excitement.

 

I remember when our eldest child was about 6 or 7 years old.  He took the Jesus figure from the nativity at his grandma’s house, to show her what he had found, “Look Gran, baby Jesus!” to which came the reply, “Very good, now put Jesus back – we’ll need him again next year!”

 

Perhaps we wish we could re-capture our own feelings of childhood, when life was less complicated, and we didn’t have to worry about all the things our parents shielded us from, or happier times shared with loved ones.  Maybe we are chasing after an innocence that doesn’t really exist? 

 

As we grow up, we lose our innocence, but there was one man who did not, the God/Man Jesus.  This innocent baby grew up to be the only innocent man who ever lived.  And the real Jesus who lived in history 2000 years ago wasn’t ‘meek and mild’ at all.  He was courageous.  He stood up to the knocks of adult life, the cynical, sinful world in which we live, and the religious authorities who wanted to be in charge.  They hid the good news from people, that God loves us and longs for us to know him in a real and personal way, thus restoring our innocence and bringing Hope with a capital ‘H’.

 

They put him to death for it, of course, because there are destructive forces in our broken and fallen world.  What they didn’t realise was that this was Jesus’ plan all along, to rescue us from ourselves.  Jesus death on the cross that first Easter 2000 years ago opens the possibility for us to know God if only we would put our trust in him.

 

Years ago, I saw a great car sticker – it said, “Jesus is for life, not just for Christmas!”  Why not come along to one of the Christmas services at church this year, join in with us in celebrating the true reason for Christmas and all the possibilities it offers us, not just at this time of year but all year round.

 

Wishing you every blessing this Christmas.

 

Yours ever,

 

Phil.